Grandma Sharp's Cabbage Rolls

Happy 2012 everyone!  Sorry for the long absence, one of my New Year's resolutions is to get back to blogging at least once a week, so please feel free to yell at me if I don't.  Anyway, my parents decided to come down to celebrate New Years with Greg and I so my mom agreed to help me throw together a pot of my Grandma's famous cabbage rolls to eat on New Years Day (I think the cabbage was supposed to be good luck for the new year?).  These puppies are the ultimate in comfort food, maybe not the prettiest or healthiest way to start the new year, but certainly the tastiest.  They are super easy to make and they freeze well if you would like to save part of them for another day.  The hardest part is getting the cabbage boiled and separating the leaves, but once you get past that it's smooth sailing.

Be sure to make your rolls in advance since they taste even better the second day.  Per my mom's orders, you must also serve them with mashed potatoes and pumpernickel bread for soaking up the juices!

Grandma Sharp's Cabbage Rolls

- 1 or 2 heads of cabbage (I used one large)
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 cup minute rice
- chopped onion, to taste (I think I used one medium sized)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- minced garlic (we did not use it in this batch but it adds a nice touch of flavor)
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce

Core cabbage and bring to boil in a pot of salted water.  Reduce to simmer and cook cabbage until tender, 30 min-1 hour.  In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine ground beef, pork, rice, chopped onion, salt and pepper, and garlic, if using.  Cool cabbage (or don't, but I warned you!), then gently separate leaves, trying to keep them whole.  

Place a leaf on cutting board with stem side toward you.  

 

Place about 1/2 cup of meat filling (loosely packed, do not pack tightly unless you enjoy rock hard, tough meatballs) on top of the leaf, fold sides in, and roll it up.  

Place the cabbage rolls in a large stock pot or dutch oven side by side, seam side down, creating layers as you go.  

 

The first lone roll.  Don't worry little roll, your friends are coming!

 

Pour diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls.  

 

Cover, cook on medium for 2 hours.  If boiling too hard, turn down to lower temp.  They are always best the 2nd day!  Serve with mashed potatoes and pumpernickel bread.  

 

Delicious!