Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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Steps

1. Step 1

   Parboil the rice by cooking the rice in salted boiling water for 4 minutes; drain. Set aside.

2. Step 2

   Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the melted butter just until tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

3. Step 3

   In a large Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon until it’s crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pot.

4. Step 4

   Steam the cabbage in the microwave by placing the cabbage in a pan with about 2 inches of water. Cook for a total of about 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. I like to do this in increments, every few minutes removing the outer cabbage leaves as they become soft. (NOTE: If you prefer to boil or freeze the cabbage, see those alternative methods in the post below).

5. Step 5

   In a large bowl, stir together the ground meat, parboiled rice, sautéed onion, breadcrumbs, beef broth, and parsley. Add salt and pepper and up to 1 tablespoon of sugar, if desired. The mixture should be very moist.

6. Step 6

   Place a steamed cabbage leaf on a cutting board. Trim a little bit of the core off of the leaf to make it easier to roll. Place a heaping 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture at the core end of the cabbage leaf (use less filling for particularly small leaves).

7. Step 7

   Start to roll, fold in each side, and then continue rolling to seal. Don’t roll the cabbage rolls too tightly. The rice expands as it cooks, so cabbage rolls stuffed too tightly might tear or burst in the cooking process, causing that yummy filling to spill out and fall apart. You can use toothpicks to secure the rolls if you like, but it’s not necessary. Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling.

8. Step 8

   Place the stuffed cabbage rolls seam-side down in the Dutch oven that has bacon grease in the bottom. Stack the rolls, as necessary, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the condensed soup (not diluted) over top.

9. Step 9

   Cover with the lid and cook over very low heat for 1 ½ – 2 hours.

10. Step 10

    Garnish the stuffed cabbage leaves with the reserved cooked, crumbled bacon and fresh parsley and sour cream, if desired.

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