Dinner is served with the one and only Sweet & Sour Stuffed Cabbage Casserole! This hearty and flavorful dish features a yummy combo of juicy ground beef and pork mixed with fluffy rice and sweet onions, all wrapped in tender cabbage leaves. The crowning glory is the tangy, sweet-and-sour sauce that perfectly complements every ounce of flavor in the filling. Sweet & Sour Stuffed Cabbage Casserole is perfect for a cold winter evening or really anytime you’re craving something warm and satisfying. Now go set the table, it’s time to eat!
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
For the filling:
- 1 head green cabbage, cored, with 1-2 outer leaves removed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup onions, chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup rice, cooked
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- mashed potatoes, to taste, cooked and hot, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, the tomato sauce, the salt, the red chili flakes, the brown sugar, the red wine vinegar, and the garlic.
Step 4 –Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the cabbage, cut-side down.
Step 5 –Let the cabbage cook in the boiling water until they start to naturally separate, then use tongs to gently transfer 14 of the cabbage leaves off the head to a colander set over a bowl, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 6 –Rinse the leaves with cold water until they are cool enough to handle.
Step 7 –Drain the leaves well and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Step 8 –Place the leaves on a cutting board and make a V-shaped cut at the bottom of each of them, ensuring the thickest part of the center rib is removed.
Step 9 –In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, the pork, the onion, the egg, the milk, the breadcrumbs, the rice, the parsley, the salt, and the pepper and gently mix to combine.
Step 10 –Spread 1 cup of the sauce all over the prepared baking dish.
Step 11 –Place each of the leaves, starting with the largest outer leaf, on a flat surface and place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture onto the center of the leaves, shaping the filling into a 4-inch-long oval.
Step 12 –Fold the sides of the cabbage leaves over the filling and roll them, starting at the cut-side and rolling towards the uncut-side.
Step 13 –Place each of the rolled leaves, seam-side down, over the top of the sauce in the baking dish.
Step 14 –Drizzle the rolled cabbages with the remaining sauce.
Step 15 –Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the meat is no longer pink, about 1 hour 30 minutes-1 hour 45 minutes.
Step 16 –Serve the casserole with the mashed potatoes.
