Delicious Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 head cabbage
• 3 lbs ground chuck
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 large onion, minced

Sauce

• 1 large onion, cut into pieces
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup water

• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 8-12 ounces water (depends on how thick you like the sauce)
• 2 tablespoons dry basil
• 3 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350º F.

2. 2

   Take a knife and cut a square around the core of the cabbage. If it is too difficult, you don't have to take the core out. You are just making deep slices on each side of the core so you can peel off the leaves. Boil head of cabbage in large pot until it's soft and pliable - about 10-15 minutes. Lift the cabbage out of the hot water, allow it to drain a bit. Start peeling off the tender leaves. If there are leaves that aren't as tender, place the head of cabbage back in the boiling water to cook a little longer. You want your leaves to be tender enough to roll but not too soft and mushy that they will be broken when you fill them with the filling.

3. 3

   Cut up the onion in large chunks and peel the garlic. Place the garlic and onion in a blender with a small amount of water and puree them. Transfer pureed onion and garlic to a large saucepan and add the tomato puree, water, basil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

4. 4

   In another bowl, combine the beef, eggs, rice, paprika, chopped onion, garlic powder and salt & pepper well with your hands.

5. 5

   Place a golf ball size of the meat mixture almost in the middle of a cabbage leaf. Roll until filling is just covered, then fold left end over towards middle, roll once more and then tuck the right side into the middle, inserting the leave into the meat mixture with your finger. Secure with a toothpick, if needed.

6. 6

   Cover the bottom of a large roasting pan with a thick layer of the sauce, place rolls on top and then more sauce over the rolls.

7. 7

   Bake at 350 for 2 hours. Baste the sauce over the cabbe rolls during the baking time every 30 minutes to avoid dried out rolls.

8. 8

   Serve with sour cream.