Country Cabbage Rolls Straight From a Mennonite Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 large savoy cabbage
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 medium to large onions
• 2 tablespoons canola or Bertolli olive oil (or butter)
• 1 cup white or brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 3 eggs (Eggland’s Best recommended)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (Morton)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans tomato soup
• 2 small bottles tomato juice or vegetable cocktail (e.g., V8)
• 1 can or small carton chicken broth

Preparation

1. Cabbage Preparation: Place the savoy cabbage in a bag and freeze for 12 hours or overnight. Allow it to thaw at room temperature before use. This softens the leaves, making them easy to handle without boiling.
2. Cook Rice: In a small saucepan or microwave-safe dish, cook the rice with 2 cups of water. Set aside to cool. This can be done the day before and stored in the refrigerator.
3. Prepare Onions: Finely chop the onions and sauté them in oil or butter until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
4. Meat Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, pepper, eggs, sautéed onions, and cooled rice. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
5. Prepare Cabbage Leaves: Carefully remove the cabbage leaves, trimming the tough part near the core.
6. Assemble Rolls: Spray a large casserole dish (or two smaller ones) with cooking spray. Place about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the meat mixture at the base of each cabbage leaf, then roll up. The amount of filling will vary based on the size of the leaf. Continue until all the meat mixture is used.
7. Prepare Sauce: In a large bowl, combine the tomato soup, tomato juice, and chicken broth. Pour this mixture evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover the dish with foil or a lid.
8. Bake: Bake the cabbage rolls at 325°F for two hours. Once baked, you can serve them immediately or allow them to cool. If cooling, remove the foil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze.

Reheating Instructions

• If frozen, thaw the cabbage rolls first.
• Remove the plastic wrap and cover with a lid or foil.
• Reheat in the oven at 325°F for about an hour, or use the microwave on the sensor reheat setting.