STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

PIGS IN THE BLANKET

Pigs in the Blanket

When I spotted a huge cabbage Saturday at our Farmer's Market here is Roanoke, Virginia, I knew I had to have it to recreate my mother's recipe for “Pigs in the Blanket.” The cabbage came from Floyd, Virginia, where they are known for their immense vegetables, especially their cabbage.

There are many different names for this remarkable dish. It is called Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, by the Yugoslavians, Golabki by the Polish and many nationalities call it Stuffed Cabbage. I always heard it referred to as Pigs in the Blanket, which is a far cry from the southern version of hot dogs wrapped in a bun.

Can You Believe the Size of This Cabbage!

Recipes for this dish can be found in Germany and France and all around the Baltic. They vary in the amounts and types of meat used and some versions do not add saurkaraut. My mother never wrote her recipe down. I often watched her make it as a child and then started my own version when I took up housekeeping. I combine my mother’s recipe, which was given to her by Pauline Gulakowski, with my own particular twist.

Yum. It Tastes Very Similar to My Mother's "Pig in the Blanket"

Here is my recipe.

1- large head of green cabbage, cored and steamed in hot water till soft

Sauce:

¼ cup butter

1 T. sour cream

1 C. heavy cream

1 C. chopped yellow onions

1 t. garlic

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. sugar

1-28 oz. can chopped tomatoes (or crushed) and juices

1 large can tomato soup

2 teaspoons paprika

1 LB sauerkraut

Filling:

2 large yellow onions, chopped fine

2 clove garlic, chopped

1 lb gr beef

1 lb gr pork

2 cups cooked long grain white rice

2 eggs

1 t. gr pepper or more to taste

1 t. salt or more to taste

4 t. butter

A good shake of my Magic Garlic Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place head of cabbage in a large pot and fill with water, bring to boil then remove from heat, separate the leaves and remove the hard leaves. Lay on work surface, with rib side down.

Make sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, cream, sour cream , vinegar, tomatoes and tomato soup and paprika.

Fill each of the cabbage rolls with a handful of the filling. Wrap the cabbage around the filling and shape into a neat bundle. Do this with remaining cabbages.

Make filling:

Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands.

Place a layer of all the sauerkraut on the bottom of a large baking dish. Layer the sauce over, saving half for the top. Lay the cabbages into the dish and cover with remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 2 ½ hours or longer if needed.

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