Lu's Excellent Cabbage Rolls

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or you can use 1 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground turkey for less fat)
• 1/2 lb ground ham or 1/2 lb bulk lamb sausage
• 1/2 cup raw rice
• 2 eggs
• 1 -2 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 (10 1/2 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• 2 cans water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 head green cabbage (or 2 small heads)
• 1 ham bone (optional)

Recipe

• 1 core cabbage and place stem side up in a bowl.
• 2 place in microwave and cook on high for 15 minutes.
• 3 while cabbage is cooking, combine ground meats, rice, eggs, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• 4 when cabbage is done, stick a fork in the stem end and peel off individual cabbage leaves.
• 5 starting at stem end of leaf, place enough meat to fill lower leaf with space left on both sides.
• 6 fold bottom of leaf up over meat mixture, then fold over left and right sides; roll the rest.
• 7 place rolls in a single layer in a large oven-proof casserole dish.
• 8 cut remaining cabbage into wedges and lay on top of rolls.
• 9 if you don't have ground ham or lamb sausage, you can place a ham bone in the center of casserole.
• 10 it will flavor the whole pot.
• 11 combine tomato soup, water, and bay leaf; pour over cabbage rolls.
• 12 the rolls should be immersed.
• 13 you can add more water if necessary.
• 14 the rice will soak up the moisture.
• 15 place casserole dish on stove and bring to a simmer.
• 16 bake in 350 f oven for 1 1/2-2 hrs.
• 17 check level of sauce.
• 18 add water if necessary.
• 19 baste sauce over cabbage wedges occasionally.
• 20 you can also cook these on the stove top.
• 21 my mom always did, but i find it easier to control the simmer in the oven.
• 22 don't let the cabbage rolls dry out!
• 23 serve with mashed potatoes or cooked noodles.
• 24 note: if making this in the crockpot, i would suggest using minute rice.