Ingredients:
SAUCE:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, diced (on the smaller sides
- 3 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 c dark brown sugar
- 1, 14 oz, can cranberry jelly
- 1/4 c lemon juice (abt 2 small lemons)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 15oz cans tomato sauce
- Refill 3 of the cans with water and add that too!In a large pot over medium high heat add oil, onions + salt. Cook for 15 min, stirring often. Purée onions using juzzer (or skip that and leave the sauce piece-y) + remove 5 tbsp of the purée (or 1/3 c of the diced sautéed onions) + set aside. Add sugar + cranberry. Mix. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 min.
MEAT MIXTURE:
- 2k (4.4lbs) ground beef
- 1/3 c reserved sautéed onions
- (OR 5 tbsp of the sautéed onion paste)
- 2 c uncooked white rice
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepperPlace everything in a bowl + mix well to combine.
Directions:
2-3 heads cabbage (amount will vary based on how big your cabbage is. Any extra can be shredded and used for soup or salads!)
Seperate cabbage leaves by slicing down center, through core. cut out core and gently separate leaves. (You can boil, freeze + defrost, or microwave the whole cabbage head if you want!)
Preheat oven to 300°f (150°c). Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a baking dish and rub around the whole inside of the dish(oven to table is best or a “fancier” tin if you want to freeze it in advance. Best not to transfer! Add one ladle of sauce to the bottom of the pan and set aside. Lay out a few cabbage leaves at a time, and spread about 3 to 4 tbsp of the meat mixture over the surface of each leaf. Pile the leaves up, and slice in half. Arrange the meaty cabbage leaves into the baking dish with the cut (flat side) on the bottom of the pan. Continue until the whole pan is right packed. Pour the sauce over “stuffed” cabbage to cover. Leave 1 inch border so there’s no spillage (or place dish on a baking sheet to catch any!). Add a piece of parchment, a layer of foil and seal very tightly! Bake for 2 hours!