Stuffed Cabbage for a Crowd

Cabbage Rolls: A Family Tradition

Cabbage rolls have been a staple in my family for generations. My grandmother made them every year for Christmas, and my mother has continued the tradition. I can't imagine a holiday without them!

These cabbage rolls are hearty and filling, with a delicious combination of ground beef, pork, and rice. The cabbage leaves are tender and flavorful, and the tomato sauce is rich and tangy. They're perfect for a cold winter day or for any special occasion.

Step-by-step

For Cabbage: Core the cabbage, then immerse the whole head in boiling water until the outer leaves begin to loosen. Remove cabbage and carefully peel away as many outer leaves as will come off easily. If you need more leaves, place the cabbage back in simmering water for a minute or two. Some cabbage leaves have a thick rib, which keeps them from lying flat and being easily rolled up. In that case, trim the end of the leaf (and the thick end of the rib) so you can more easily roll up the leaf with the stuffing. For Stuffing: Saute onion in some butter and let cool. Mix the ground beef, ground pork, onion, raw rice (do not use instant rice) and all the seasonings. For Rolls: Form meat mixture in about 2 inch balls. Place in a cabbage leaf starting close to rib end and roll up tucking in sides so that while roasting, the meat will not escape. Some rolls will be large and some small depending on the size of the cabbage leaf; adjust your meatball accordingly. Assembly: Place some cabbage leaves on the bottom of a very large roasting pan (We use the ones that are too small to roll or too green) Pour a little of the tomato juice and some water on the bottom. Place rolls in roaster with the loose end of the cabbage down so as it cooks it will not unroll. Do not pack in tightly. Allow a little "growing room" for each roll. Cover the first layer of rolls with more tomato juice and add your second layer. (We get 40 rollls in our large roaster.) Cover the top layer with one can of tomato soup and a can full of water. Pour tomato juice over all. Fill the 46-oz tomato juice bottle with water and add most or all of it to your roaster as well, making sure your rolls are all laying in the juice. Cover with lid to roast. Repeat process for the second roaster. Bake at 350 for the first hour, then turn down to 300 for 4 hours, 5 hours total. Keep a watch so that all of the liquid is not evaporating. The sauce will thicken as it cooks. Add more water/juice if needed and turn down the temp a little if burning. We like a lot of juice with our cabbage rolls so we have some "gravy" for our mashed potatoes :) *This makes a huge amount and really takes us all day to make, but we don't make it often so we love freezing for future meals as this freezes very well. We roast all of the rolls on the same day, one roaster in the oven and an electric roaster on the counter with 40 cabbage rolls as well. If you are using an electric roaster, the cooking time is shorter - 4 to 4 1/2 hours total, at a lower temperature - 250 to 300. We have cooked some on the stovetop in a large covered soup pot rather than using an electric roaster. The assembly is the same. After they come to a boil at medium-high heat, turn down to simmer for several hours.