These are made differently throughout the world. This particular version is Polish. It does take about 1/2 hour to put together, but a hearty warm dinner will be waiting for you when you get home.
1 large head of cabbage
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup prepared white rice
1 egg
2 cans tomato soup
garlic
fresh ground black pepper
Place entire head of cabbage in a very large pot and let boil until leaves are just starting to soften. If you cook too long, you’ll never be able to work with it! Turn head throughout boiling to ensure even cooking. Only takes about 10 minutes.
Pour into a colander, reserving 2 cups of the water. Let cabbage drain and cool until cool enough to work with.
In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine meat, cooked rice, egg, garlic and black pepper to taste.
When cabbage is cool enough to work with, take off one leaf at a time. Place a serving tablespoon of meat mixture on the leaf, and roll. Place into crock pot.
Continue until all of the meat mixture is used.
In another bowl, mix tomato soup with 2 cups reserved cabbage water. Pour over cabbage rolls.
Cook on high setting just until it starts to get very hot and boil. Turn down to low and ignore for the next 6 – 8 hours.
The very first time I had this dish, I thought it was so weird that they put the tomato gravy on mashed potatoes, but it really is good.
Serves at least 6.
