classic cabbage rolls
Simple classic cabbage rolls filled with beef, sausage, and rice, slow-cooked in tomato sauce.
Ingredients
cabbage (cored)
1 medium
chopped onion (divided use)
1-1/2 cup
butter
1 tbsp
Italian stewed tomatoes
2 cans (14.5 oz each)
garlic cloves (minced)
4 cloves
brown sugar
2 tbsp
salt (divided use)
1-1/2 tsp
cooked rice
1 cup
ketchup
1/4 cup
Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp
pepper
1/4 tsp
lean ground beef
1 lb
bulk Italian sausage
1/4 lb
V8 juice (optional)
1/2 cup
Instructions
1
Prepare cabbage leaves
Place cabbage in a pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes or until outer leaves are soft; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain. Remove 8 large outer leaves (refrigerate remaining cabbage for later use); set aside.
2
Make sauce
In a saucepan, sauté 1 cup of onion in butter until soft. Add tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3
Make filling
Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix rice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and the remaining onion and salt. Add ground beef and sausage to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Remove thick veins from cabbage leaves to make them easier to roll.
4
Roll and simmer
Place approximately 1/2 cup of meat mixture on each leaf; fold in the sides. Roll the leaf starting from the unfolded edge to fully encase the filling. Place seam-side down in a skillet. Pour sauce over the top. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Add V8 juice if desired. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an additional 20 minutes, until cabbage rolls are fully heated and meat is no longer pink.
