ITALIAN STYLE STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Italian Style Stuffed Cabbage Rolls image

I have read recipes that fill their cabbage rolls with raw meat. I cooked my meat first and drained out the grease and used wild rice. I felt like getting creative and made this recipe. I knew I had a head of cabbage and most of the ingredients to make them but wanted it a bit different, so I used an Italian twist! There will be...

Provided by Janet Scott

Categories Beef

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

2 lb hamburger (or turkey burger)
1 lb sausage (tube)
1 head of cabbage
1 large purple onion
2 c cooked wild rice blend (i used: lundberg wild blend/a gourmet blend of wild rice & whole grain brown rice.)
1 c mild salsa (any brand, i make my own)
2 garlic cloves, chopped up very fine
2 c shredded cheese blend
2 large eggs
32 oz chicken broth, low sodium fat free
1 jar(s) 24oz bertolli sauce, italian sausage w/garlic and romano (you can make your own spaghetti sauce or use your favorite brand. this one seemed to be wonderful!)

Steps:

1. In a large saucepan, fry you hamburger and sausage. Drain off as much grease as you can Place your saucepan back on the burner and add your onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add your rice, salsa and shredded cheese. The cheese should melt making it easy to form your filling into the cabbage.
3. Your mixture shouldn't be really hot anymore and you can now add your eggs. Mix thoroughly. set aside
4. In another large saucepan, Fill 2/3 full with water, place on med-high heat. Cut out and discard the stem in your cabbage, wash with cold water. Shake out excess then place in your pan of hot water. After about 10 minutes (not mushy), remove the cabbage. Carefully peal off the large pieces and rinse with cold water.
5. Pat dry with a paper towel. Fill with about 1 cup of your meat filling. That will depend on the size of your leaf.
6. start rolling them like you would a burrito placing the meat in the center of the leaf. ***flip one side over then the ends inside and continue rolling.
7. I placed my filled rolls on a cookie sheet until ready to place in the crock pot. With the extra cabbage, chop it up in pieces. Pour your chicken broth in a large crock pot and place the chopped cabbage on top of that. Place your cabbage rolls carefully on top of that. Turn your crock pot on high for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the cabbage is tender (but not falling apart)
8. Just before your cabbage is finished, in a medium saucepan, put in your jar of sauce and about 1 cup or more (depends on how much you like)of your extra meat filling. let that simmer.
9. When the cabbage is finished, scoop up about one cup or more of the extra cabbage from the bottom of your crock pot and put it in your sauce. Let that simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
10. Serve your cabbage rolls with the sauce poured on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. I cooked up some noodles and poured some extra sauce on top of that for a side.
11. The broth and cabbage pieces left over in your crock pot can also be served on the side as soup, just add some spices to season. YUMBO!