Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

By davidv

So many cultures have different recipes for stuffed cabbage rolls, but it's hard to go wrong when you combine ground meat with tangy tomato wrapped up in a silky cabbage leaf!

Tip: You can make the meat filling up to a day in advance. The flavors will have more time to meld this way.

Ingredients

• 1 large head green cabbage
• 2-1/2 lbs meatloaf mix
• 3/4 cup onion, minced
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1-1/2 cups Swiss cheese, grated
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 3 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups green peppers, diced

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the core from the cabbage. Place the whole head in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off the individual leaves. You’ll need about 12 leaves. Drain and set the cabbage aside to cool.

When the leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.

Mix together the meatloaf mix, onion, garlic, rice, cheese, tomato paste, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until fully combined. Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Fold in the right side of the leaf, then the left side, so that it takes the shape of an envelope. Roll away from you again, to create a neat little cabbage roll. Place the cabbage rolls seam side down into a 9” x 13” baking dish.

Combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, and green pepper in a medium-size bowl, and then pour over the rolls. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours.