I love cabbage rolls. I usually make a whole whack of them once or twice a year – but like anyone in the know – it can be a huge undertaking. I was suspicious when my mother sent me this recipe – shortcuts rarely reap the same results as honest-to-goodness hard work – especially where recipes are concerned. But this one was amazing! I may never make honest-to-goodness cabbage rolls ever again!
*Makes a lot! We all had seconds – then I froze the leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 head of sour cabbage, cut into bite-sized chunks (or use 1 regular cabbage with jarred sauerkraut mixed in)
1 lb. ground pork
2 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I only needed about 3/4 of the can)
1 large onion, chopped
5 – 8 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 servings of cooked rice
1 T vegetable oil
2 t salt (to taste)
3-4 t pepper (to taste)
2 T paprika
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 smoked sausages, sliced into rounds
Heat oil in skillet and brown the onions before adding in pork and beef. Once meat is mostly cooked, add garlic and spices and continue cooking.
Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray (I used a lasagna pan but something a bit larger would have been ideal). Layer in this order: three servings of rice, half of meat mixture spread over top of the rice, followed by half of the cabbage. Repeat layers.
In a small bowl, mix the tomato soup with about 3/4 of the can of crushed tomatoes. (I froze the rest of the tomatoes to be used at a later time for spaghetti sauce or chili). Pour over top of the casserole. Top with sausage rounds.
Cover with foil and bake for one hour at 350F. Then uncover and continue baking for another hour (or until hot and bubbly). Be careful not to overcook.
Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt.