Maribeth’s Stuffed Cabbage
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
Ingredients:
2 quarts water
1 large green cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cups cooked rice
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces Italian Sausage
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves, finely chopped
4 cups tomato sauce (I like an Italian meat-sauce)
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish
Instructions:
- Using a paring knife, remove the center core of the cabbage.
- In a large nonreactive stockpot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil.
- Add cabbage and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until outer leaves are bright green and tender.
- Lift cabbage from water, and remove outer leaves. Return cabbage to boiling water, and repeat brief cooking and removal of leaves until all leaves are cooked. Reserve 2 cups of cabbage cooking water.
- Trim thick center vein from the bottom of each leaf. Reserve four large outer leaves to line the bottom of the pan.
- In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until golden and tender, about 8 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, rice, beef, sausage, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, green pepper, and celery. Stir to combine.
- Add mixture to one cabbage leaf. Fold sides of cabbage over the filling, and, starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
- Line a 5-quart Dutch oven with reserved outside leaves. Transfer stuffed cabbage leaves to Dutch oven.
- In a large bowl, combine tomato puree and the reserved 2 cups of cabbage cooking water.
- Pour some of the tomato sauce over cabbage to almost cover. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer; cover.
- Place in the preheated oven Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes. Or until cabbage is very tender, adding additional tomato sauce as needed.
- Place sour cream in a small bowl, and ladle in about 3/4 cup of tomato sauce from the cooked stuffed cabbage rolls. Whisk to combine.
- Add sour cream mixture back to Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Serve with additional sour cream.
Enjoy!
