Halupki (Stuffed Cabbage)

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs 45 mins

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 10

This stuffed cabbage recipe, known as halupki on the Ukrainian side of my family, is made with beef, pork, and rice encased in cabbage and drizzled with a thin, sweet tomato sauce. My grandma Eugenia taught me how to make this. Every family has their own twist on this traditional dish. Enjoy with mashed potatoes just as we always do in my family!

Ingredients

1 head cabbage, cored

water to cover

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

1 ½ pounds ground pork

1 ½ cups cooked white rice

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

¼ cup white vinegar

2 ⅔ tablespoons white sugar

Directions

Place cabbage in a stockpot; pour over enough water to cover. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn cabbage every 2-3 minutes; transfer any leaves that separate from cabbage into a strainer to drain and cool. Continue to boil until all the leaves have cooked, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of cabbage cooking water. Cut out the tough, thick center ribs of any large cabbage leaves with a sharp knife.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

AMix ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, eggs, onion, fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Lay 1 cabbage leaf on a flat surface; place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling at the base of a cabbage leaf. Overlap with the bottom of the leaf; fold in side edges and roll up. Repeat with remaining large cabbage leaves and filling.

Cut any leftover cabbage leaves into pieces and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Layer stuffed cabbage rolls on top.

Combine tomato sauce, reserved cabbage water, white vinegar, and white sugar in a bowl; pour mixture over cabbage rolls. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until filling is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 2 1/2 hours. Baste stuffed cabbage rolls every hour.

Tips

I use Uncle Ben's Ready Rice, which is done in 90 seconds in the microwave, to cut down on prep time. Leftovers freeze well — if you have any!

Editor's Note:

To make the 1 1/2 cups cooked rice needed in this recipe; Bring 1/2 cup long grain white rice and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Or make a larger batch and use leftovers for fried rice or rice pudding.