Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls

• 1 green cabbage
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup cooked long-grain white rice — cooled
• ¾ cup yellow onion — finely diced
• 1 egg — lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Homemade Tomato Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ cup water
• 3 ½ cups canned whole peeled tomatoes with juices — broken up
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional) — or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar — packed
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Garnish

• As needed sour cream (optional) — optional
• As needed fresh parsley (optional) — chopped, optional

1. Make Homemade Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, until bubbly but not browned. Slowly whisk in the water. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, oregano, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon flour, ½ cup water, 3½ cups tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2. Prepare Cabbage: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Cut out the cabbage core and place the cabbage cored-side down in the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the outer leaves begin to loosen. Use tongs to remove each softened leaf as it releases. Return the cabbage to the pot for 1–2 minutes at a time as needed until you have about 12 large leaves. Drain and cool slightly. Trim or shave down the thick center rib of each leaf without cutting through the leaf.1 green cabbage
3. Make Filling: In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the ground beef, cooled rice, onion, egg, ½ cup of the selected tomato sauce, salt, garlic salt, and black pepper. Mix only until evenly combined.1 pound ground beef, 1 cup cooked rice, ¾ cup onion, 1 egg, ½ cup tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon garlic salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
4. Roll Cabbage Rolls: Spread ¾ cup of the selected tomato sauce across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place one cabbage leaf on a cutting board with the stem end closest to you. Spoon about ⅓ cup of filling near the stem end. Fold the stem end over the filling, fold in both sides, and roll snugly. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.¾ cup tomato sauce, softened cabbage leaves, prepared filling
5. Add Sauce: Pour the remaining selected tomato sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls, making sure the exposed cabbage is coated.remaining tomato sauce
6. Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 75–90 minutes, until the cabbage is very tender and the center of a middle roll reaches 160°F. Remove the foil only when checking for doneness. Let the cabbage rolls rest for 10 minutes before serving.
7. Serve: Serve hot with additional tomato sauce, sour cream, and chopped parsley, if desired. Remove any toothpicks before serving if they were used.sour cream and fresh parsley, optional