Josephine Gresko's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Ready In:
- 3hrs 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Yields:
-
28 rolls
- Serves:
- 8-10
ingredients
- 2 medium cabbage, cored
- 2 lbs ground round or 2 lbs chuck
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 cup raw long-grain white rice (not converted rice)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt
- salt & fresh ground pepper
- 1 lb sauerkraut, from a bag, drained and rinsed
- 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups tomato juice
directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add a cabbage. Reduce heat slightly and blanch cabbage, turning a few times, about 5 minutes, until leaves begin loosening and look translucent.
- With cabbage in water, use long-handled fork or tongs to pull off leaves as they loosen.
- Remove what's left of cabbage and repeat with other cabbage.
- Don't discard inner leaves or broken leaves. Reserve water.
- Let cabbage cool.
- In large bowl or tub, put ground beef, onion, celery, rice, eggs, parsley flakes, garlic salt, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Mix well with hands, adding 1/4 cup water if mixture feels "tight.".
- With paring knife, trim thick cores from outer sides of cabbage leaves. Coarsely chop smaller leaves and cabbage bits; strew half in bottom of an 18-by-10-by-3-inch heavy-duty foil roasting pan.
- Pour reserved cabbage water over sauerkraut in a colander to rinse more, if you like.
- Drain well.
- Strew half the kraut over cabbage in pan.
- Pour in half the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup tomato juice.
- Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
- For rolls, shape about 1/4 cup meat into a sausage (not too tight) for a large leaf, less for a smaller leaf.
- Put filling on the bottom of the leaf, and fold the bottom over the filling, pressing inches
- Then fold in the sides, pressing and rolling, but not too tight, not worrying if a leaf breaks.
- Filled leaves are placed seam-side down in pan, in even rows, 5 or 6 across, making 25 to 28 rolls.
- Strew remaining chopped cabbage (chop any unused leaves) and sauerkraut over the rolls.
- Top with remaining crushed tomatoes and tomato juice.
- Salt and pepper generously.
- Rinse crushed tomato can with about 1/2 can water.
- Pour water over top; don't worry about mixing it.
- Cover pan tightly with foil.
- Bake in 325-degree oven 1 hour. (Check after 30 minutes to be sure it's bubbling. If not, turn oven to 350 degrees.).
- After 1 hour, reduce temperature to 250 degrees. Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, until rolls are tender and meat and rice fully cooked (cut open a roll to check).
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Working mom of 2 girls. I love to cook and wow my dinner guests. I am always looking for a new great recipe.