Moms Cabbage Rolls A Different Way Recipes

TRADITIONAL CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Boil rice in a pot of salted water until it's cooked. Saute grated carrots and thinly cut onions with olive oil.
• Cool rice and carrots with onion, combine them together with the meat in a large bowl, add greens and spices, and mix well.
• Bring 1 gallon water to boil in a large deep pan, and place the cabbage in the pan. Boil for 2-3 minutes, cut and takeout the upper cabbage leaves, trying to keep them from braking. Repeat until the cabbage leaves are too small. Let the leaves cool.
• Cut out the hard part of the cabbage leaves by slicing each piece into two and removing the middle of the leaf
• Place cabbage leaf into your hand, add filling and fold over the cabbage leaf into a roll.
• Press the top of the pocket into the filling.
• Place the cabbage rolls into a ceramic pot, spaced tightly together.
• For the Sauce - preheat skillet with a bit of oil, add onion rings and saute until they are golden brown. Pour sour cream and tomato sauce into the pan. Combine everything together.
• Pour sauce over cabbage rolls. Bake them in an oven at 375F for 45 minutes.
• Serve the cabbage rolls while they are warm with a dollop of sour cream.

MOM'S CLASSIC STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. If the leaves do not pull off easily, return the cabbage to the pot to boil a minute or two more. When the leaves are cool enough, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.
• In a large bowl, add in the ground beef, pork, rice, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, ketchup, tomato paste, and parsley. Mix gently to combine. Add in 2/3rd of a can of tomato soup (almost 3/4 of a cup) and mix.
• To stuff the leaves lay down a single large leaf with the cut edge facing you (where the stem was) and place about a 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in the lower third of the leave. If the leaf is huge add more, if smaller add less meat. Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat and roll the cabbage up (like rolling a burrito). Repeat until all of the leaves are stuffed. If you have extra meat just roll it up as meatballs and place it in the baking pan with the stuffed cabbage.
• Preheat oven to 350F, rack in the center.
• In a large deep dish (4" at least) baking pan (or two 9×13" glass pans), spread out the remaining soup from the open can on the bottom of the pan. Open up a 2nd can and pour out 1/2 of it and spread out until the bottom of the pan in covered in a light coating.
• Place a single layer of stuffed cabbages on the bottom of your pan. Add the remaining half of the 2nd can of tomato soup. If you have leaves that are too small to stuff or are badly torn, add them on top of the soup.
• Add the 2nd layer of stuffed cabbage (you must make sure you have a 1/2" gap at the top of your pan and stuffed cabbage. It cannot go over the top of the pan. Top with the remaining can of tomato soup and spread out evenly.
• Spray the underneath of a large piece of foil. Place foil side down on the pan and close tightly around the dish. Place the pan on a larger cookie sheet to catch any spillovers.
• Bake for 3 - 4 hours or until the cabbage is tender when pierced with a knife. (I start to check mine after 2 hours 45 minutes).
• Remove from the oven, uncover and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

MOM'S CABBAGE ROLLS A DIFFERENT WAY

Steps:

• 1. Core and remove outside leaves of cabbage. Place core side down in 1 1/2 inches of water in a Pyrex bowl covered with plastic wrap. Steam in the microwave until outer leaves are semi-soft and peel them off a few at a time until all are done. (about 10 minutes)
• 2. Heat 4qt saucepan (with tight fitting lid) over med heat. Add butter and rice. Stir and cook until rice starts getting white specks on it. Add salt & water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes (35 min for brown rice). Fluff with a fork and set aside. Remove 2 cups and set aside to cool while making filling. Serve the cabbage rolls over the remaining rice.
• 3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, onions, garlic and seasonings. Stir in milk and add 2 cups of the cooled cooked rice last. Mix well and stuff cabbage leaves. Trim off hard core parts and starting at the widest end place a few tablespoons of filling. Roll up but don't fold ends in. Push the ends of the cabbage into the ends of the roll o make a belly button. This works great to hold them together when browning. It eliminates the need for toothpicks. Mom always used them and I almost swallowed one several times. I learned the belly button trick from my Hungarian aunt. : )
• 4. When all done making rolls, heat butter & oil in large heavy skillet over med/high heat. Dredge each roll in flour and pan fry until browned on all sides. Remove to large lasagna baking pan or 2 smaller pans. When rolls are all browned, heat a little more oil or butter in the same skillet if necessary to make a roux. Scrape up browned bits. Add abt 2 tablespoons of leftover dredging flour and cook & stir for 1 minute. Whisk in beef broth until it becomes a thin/med gravy. Add white pepper and nutmeg. I usually almost double this gravy recipe. You seem to need more when you use 2 pans, but this recipe makes alot of rolls, plus I make a sm pan of them with no cabbage for my son who is anti cabbage. Next, pour gravy over cabbage rolls and sprinkle brown sugar over top. Cover with heavy duty foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Serve over remaining cooked rice. Enjoy!!

OLD-FASHIONED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Cook cabbage in boiling water just until outer leaves pull away easily from head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls. In a small bowl, combine the beef, pork, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, onion, rice, parsley, salt, dill and cayenne; mix well., Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture on a cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides. Beginning from the cut end, roll up. Repeat., Slice the remaining cabbage; place in a Dutch oven. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down over sliced cabbage. Combine the tomatoes, sugar and remaining tomato sauce; pour over the rolls. Cover and bake at 350° until cabbage rolls are tender, 1-1/2 hours.

MOM'S CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• With a large, sharp knife, cut out the core from the cabbage.
• Place the cabbage in a deep pot and pour boiling water into the core until the cabbage is completely covered.
• Let stand until the outer leaves can be separated, then parboil or steam the leaves just until soft and pliable.
• Continue with the remainder of the cabbage.
• In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil; add the rice.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat until all the fat is drawn out.
• Add the onions; cook until lightly browned.
• Add to the cooked rice; season with salt to taste.
• Line a roasting pan with the outer cabbage leaves.
• Place a spoonful of the rice mixture onto each inner cabbage leaf; roll up, tucking in the ends, and place in the pan.
• If necessary, trim out the centre rib of the leaf to make rolling easier.
• Pour tomato juice over the cabbage rolls.
• Cover with more cabbage leaves.
• Cover and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender.