Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

1 large (about 4 lb.) head cabbage

Boiling salted water

Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in boiling water. Cook about 5 minutes, or until soft enough to remove leaves. Place separated leaves on paper towels to drain. If leaves begin to get difficult to remove simply repeat the cooking process. You will probably need 20-24 leaves. Cut the thick part of the center stem from each leaf and discard. Chop the remaining cabbage and place ½ in the bottom of a deep roasting pan, or you may want to divide between two pans.

Filling:

1 large diced onion

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 lb lean ground beef

1 ½ cups cooked white rice*

2 eggs

2 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Sauté onion in oil. Add remaining filling ingredients and mix well. Place a heaping Tablespoon of filling on each leaf. Tuck sides over filling while rolling leaf around filling. Place rolls, seam side down, onto of chopped cabbage in pans. Continue until all filling is used up. You may layer the rolls if using a deep enough roaster.

*1/2 cup dry rice steamed in 1 cup water.

Sauce:

1-28 oz. can tomato sauce

1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, do not drain.

2-10 oz. cans tomato soup

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Ladle over the cabbage rolls in pans. With a table knife move rolls gently from side to side making sure the sauce runs down to bottom of pan. Do NOT over fill pans with sauce or they will spill over in oven while baking. (I like to leave about 1 ½ inch headway.) Top with remaining chopped cabbage and cover.

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 1 ½-2 hours, or until bubbly and cooked through. Let stand a few minutes before serving. We like to bake ahead and then they can be easily reheated in smaller amounts in microwave.