CABBAGE ROLLS

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5-ounce can small diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cabbage rolls

• 1 large kale
• 1/2 pound ground pork sausage
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup minute rice or par-cooked long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Bring water to the boil in a large pot. Add all the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Place in a colander to drain and cool. Once cool, trim 1/2 inch from the stem end of the cabbage.Carefully remove 12 leaves and cut the tough rib from the end of the stem in a V-shape.
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring several times. Reduce heat to low and add garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce into a 9-by-13-inch pot. In a large bowl, combine ground pork sausage, ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, rice, parsley and paprika.Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture in the center of the cabbage roll. Fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Place the rolls in a single layer on top of the tomato sauce in the casserole. Repeat until all cabbage rolls are done and in the baking dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce.Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 80 to 90 minutes.

Notes

Buy a large head of cabbage so you have large leaves to work with and extra leaves just in case.
Choose the mix of ground beef, ground pork or sausage that your family enjoys best. My husband loves sausage, so I usually make them with 100% ground sausage.
Don’t skip the step of cooking the cabbage.It really makes a difference when it comes to getting these guys rolling. It is almost impossible to roll an uncooked cabbage leaf as it is as hard as a board.
It is not necessary to pre-cook minced meat.
After cooking the cabbage slice, the root stands about 1/2 to 3/4 inch high. This makes the leaves easier to remove.Are you always in a rush and need to take shortcuts? Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce and simply add 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 1/2-2 tablespoons brown sugar.

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