Romanian cabbage rolls are one of my husband's favorite foods and his birthday was this week, so I made them. They are an adventure to make. I did discover a huge 'cheat' on how to make the cabbage leaves come off easily and whole. I think I saw a cook do it on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives on the Food Network. I honestly can't remember, but I know I saw it done! Freeze the head of cabbage the day before you make it! Thaw it in a big soup pot of water and amazingly the cabbage leaves came off effortlessly...
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| Blue runner, blue plates, blue pedestal bowl with a blue bottle of wine! |
I made two casserole dishes of sarmale with one head of cabbage.
1 head of cabbage
2 cups cooked rice
1 lb ground sirloin
1/2 lb Italian sausage
onion flakes
salt & pepper
parsley
Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
Chicken Stock
Season and saute beef and sausage mixture til brown and then add rice and a little tomato sauce.
Assemble each cabbage roll by stuffing a spoonful of the rice mixture into the roll and folding it up like a burrito. layer the assembled rolls into the casserole dish (Pour some tomato and chicken stock into the bottom of the dish). Add more tomato and chicken stock on the top of the assembled sarmale. Cover with cabbage leaves and cook on 325 for 45 minutes or until cabbage is soft. Serve with sour cream and dill.
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| first roll of the day |
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| all rolled together and ready for the oven |
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| covering the sarmale with extra leaves keeps them moist! |
I'm linking up to
Meredith, this looks great! I love cabbage, so I'm sure I would love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat cheat! I'm not a big fan, but my family loves them, maybe I can fix 'em and have everyone over to see my new kitchen! I'm now a follower!
ReplyDeleteMeredith, if you want a real cheater way (and an easy dinner on a busy night), try deconstructed cabbage rolls:
ReplyDeletepre-heat oven to 350, grease/spray a 9x13 pan
brown a lb of ground beef on the stove with one small or half of a large onion. when meat is cooked, drain it, then mix in 1/3 cup of uncooked rice.
layer the bottom of the greased pan with shredded cabbage (I use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix to make this quicker). top cabbage with ground beef and rice mixture. mix one can of tomato soup with one can water, then pour that over everything in your pan. cover pan with foil and bake for an hour.
My family loves this and it tastes so much like cabbage rolls and is so much easier (in my opinion).
Hi Meredith,
ReplyDeleteWe just love Cabbage Rolls and your recipe looks great. Your presentation is lovely, great photo's. I would like to sit right down and have one (or maybe two) of those yummy rolls! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and please come back!
I love Cabbage Rolls, being of a Ukrainian background I grew up on them...... thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blue monday!
Oh need to try that cabbage roll. happy blue Monday...
ReplyDeletemine is here
You're a good wife to pamper your husband. Thanks for sharing your blues.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blue Monday, Meredith.
I like cabbage rolls but can tell yours would be better than any I've had at a restaurant. Italian sausage must really jazz them up.
ReplyDeleteLove the pretty blue plates!
Mine is on my book blog this week-- but it isn't a book.