Old Fashioned Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Classic Cabbage Rolls Filled with Savory Beef

Ingredients

• 1 cup of prepared long-grain rice (or a similar type)
• 1.5 pounds of lean or extra lean ground beef
• 1.5 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 peeled and minced yellow onion
• ⅓ cup of roughly chopped parsley
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ½ teaspoon of dried dill
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• ½ to 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes (optional)
• 42 ounces of tomato sauce, divided (Three 14-ounce cans, approximately 5 cups)
• 1 medium green cabbage (you’ll need about 18 leaves for the rolls and another 8 to 10 for the bottom and top of the dish)
• Half a cup of water (reserved from boiling the cabbage)
• Freshly chopped dill for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the rice according to the package instructions and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, egg, cooked rice, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, dill, onion powder, red chili flakes (if using), and ½ cup of the tomato sauce. Mix until everything is well combined.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the head of cabbage and boil for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it over halfway through. Carefully remove the cabbage, but keep the water for re-boiling the cabbage as you peel off the leaves and for your sauce. Note: Don’t fill the pot all the way up with water because the cabbage will displace some of it. Test the water displacement by placing the cabbage in the pot before boiling.
4. Once the cabbage is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the leaves and cut out the core from each leaf. As you start removing leaves, you may need to re-boil the cabbage to soften more leaves. Continue this process until all the leaves are removed.
5. Arrange some cabbage leaves at the bottom of a deep 9″ x 13″ baking dish or roasting pan. Take one leaf at a time, place about ¼ cup of the ground beef mixture on top, fold in the sides, and roll up the leaf, placing it in the prepared dish with the seam side down. Repeat with the remaining beef mixture and leaves.
6. Combine the remaining tomato sauce with ½ cup of the cabbage water. Whisk to combine everything, then pour this sauce over the top of the cabbage rolls.

Enjoy your meal!