Potluck Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Holubsti Recipes

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine boiling water, salt, and rice; bring to a boil, cover, simmer until the water is absorbed, about 14 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter, add the onion, and sauté until light golden. Combine with the rice and season with salt and pepper; let cool.
• Turn the cabbage upside down and cut out the core; place in a deep kettle and pour boiling water into the hollow until the cabbage is covered. Let stand until the leaves are pliable. Drain and carefully pick off the leaves. Reserve 2 large whole leaves. Cut the hard center rib from each of the remaining leaves. The leaves are now halved.
• Oil a large skillet or casserole. Place a spoonful of rice filling on each leaf half. Tuck in the ends ad roll up tight. Place any extra leaves (except the large reserved leaves) in the bottom of the casserole. Arrange the stuffed leaves in layers and lightly salt each layer.
• Combine the tomato juice with the melted butter, salt, and pepper and pour over the cabbage rolls. The liquid should barely show between the rolls. Place the large reserved leaves over the top, then cover tight.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until both cabbage and filling have cooked. Serve hot with sour cream or at room temperature, if desired. Makes about 30 rolls, and serves 10 to 14.
• Take-It-Along Cookbook.

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions and set aside to cool completely once done.
• Adjust oven rack to lower half of oven to allow for height of roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Boil water in a large pot. While water is heating, remove tough outer leaves of the cabbage and reserve. Core around the stem of the cabbage at enough of an angle to remove. Gently place cabbage into boiling water core side down. Add additional water to ensure cabbage is not touching the bottom of pot.
• Reduce heat just a little and boil cabbage for about 5 minutes or until outer leaves become soft. Using kitchen tongs, remove the outer 2 or 3 leaves intact to a colander placed over a bowl to catch the water. Continue with remaining cabbage leaves one by one, allowing a minute or two between leaves for underlying leaves to soften. You want them to peel apart in one in-tact piece.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, chopped onion, eggs, and salt. Using your hands, work the mixture until combined.
• Position your cooked cabbage leaves alongside your bowl with the mixture in preparation for rolling/stuffing the dumplings. Before stuffing, prepare a large roasting pan by emptying one can of condensed tomato soup or a bit of the canned tomatoes in the bottom and spreading to coat. You do not need much.
• Begin rolling/stuffing the cabbage leaves one at a time. Repeat until all of the meat mixture has been used.
• Once all of the cabbage rolls are tucked tightly in the roasting pan, scatter the pepper strips and the cherry tomatoes on top. If there are remaining unstuffed cabbage leaves left, chop them finely and scatter atop as well. Pour the canned tomatoes, the remaining can of tomato soup, and the Heinz Chili Sauce atop the dumplings. Sprinkle with dried basil and add bay leaves. Dunk the reserved outer leaves detached from the cabbage at the beginning of the recipe into the still hot water used to soften the cabbage. This is simply to remove any grit from the surface of the leaves. Use the outer leaves as a 'blanket' and cover the dumplings completely.
• Place the lid on the roasting pan and bake at 350°F for 2 hours. When 2 hours is up, turn off the oven heat, crack the oven door, and leave the roasting pan in the oven, undisturbed, for an additional hour.
• Let rest until rolls are set. Then, spoon sauce over the cabbage rolls and serve alongside fresh bread of choice.