Classic Stuffed Cabbage

All ready for the freezer!


There are many things great about having my mom live with me.
Note to Mom: See? A shout out, I really do love you!

My children always get back tickles at the end of the day.
My curtains get washed at least twice a year, and I live with a walking, talking recipe queen.
Mom does not cook often but when she does I am there ready to give her all the stuff and room she needs to fill the freezer and the bellies.

It is a wonderful treat to taste her famous meals from my childhood.
My containers ready, I fill 'em up for later and I am out of the kitchen.



Stuffed Cabbage is one of those meals that kids either love or hate.
Thank goodness most of mine love it. Off come the cabbage leaves on goes the ketchup and it's hit every time.

I happen to love cabbage and let me tell you these are so tasty, simple, inexpensive, and they do freeze well.

If you have some leftover rice, add some ground beef, tomatoes lots of spices, wrap it up and pop it in the oven...the secret ingredient is salt pork.

Stuffed Cabbage Nana Style

Serves 8

2cups leftover rice
2lbs ground beef
1 head of cabbage (uncooked)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pepper
2 bullion cubes
1/2 cup hot water
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons diced salt pork

Preheat oven 350

Place the head of cabbage in a large pot over high heat and add water to cover. Boil cabbage for 15 minutes, or until it is pliable and soft. Drain and allow to cool completely. Remove the hard center vein from the leaves.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, rice, garlic powder, pepper and the eggs and mix well. Place a small amount, about the size of your thumb into the center of a cooked cabbage leaf and fold the leaf leaf over, tucking in the sides of the leaf to keep meat mixture inside. When you get down to the smaller leaves, use two to cover the same amount of filling. You can spear each one with a toothpick to hold it together if you'd like, just remember to remove picks before serving.

Heat water and add the bouillon cubes. Stir until they fully dissolve.
Mix with the tomatoes and the salt pork and set aside.

In a large dutch oven or other heavy, oven proof pot,layer the cabbage pockets alternately with the sauce mixture.

Cover the pot and place in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Start checking for doneness after about 35 minutes -- liquid should be bubbling and all pockets should be heated through.