Boil 6 quarts of heavily salted water. Place a colander over a bowl next to the pot and have tongs ready. Carefully lower the whole cabbage into the pot. As outer leaves soften and come away from the head, carefully peel them off and place them in the colander. This takes about 5 minutes to start and it’s helpful to put the core side down in the pot. You’ll need about ten leaves. Remove the rest of the cabbage and chop into bite size pieces.
Mix beef, rice, onion, egg, 1/2 T. salt and all of the pepper in a large bowl.
Spray the crock of a slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place the chopped up cabbage in the bottom.
Lay out a cabbage leaf, and place about 3/4 C. of the meat mixture in the middle. Starting with the core end of the leaf, fold over the meat, then fold in the sides and roll up. There should be enough cabbage to roll a tight bundle that stays together if you don’t overfill! Place with seam down on top of the cabbage in the slow cooker. Repeat until all filling is used - you should have about ten rolls.
Pour most of the tomato juice over the top. Depending on the shape of your slow cooker (ovals evaporate a little more than round tall ones and I find a little more liquid is necessary) cover the rolls with about an inch of liquid. Sprinkle with remaining salt, sugar, oregano, and thyme.
Set slow cooker to High for 6 hours or Low for 10. Serve over mashed potatoes with the extra cabbage and sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Boil 6 quarts of heavily salted water. Place a colander over a bowl next to the pot and have tongs ready. Carefully lower the whole cabbage into the pot. As outer leaves soften and come away from the head, carefully peel them off and place them in the colander. This takes about 5 minutes to start and it’s helpful to put the core side down in the pot. You’ll need about ten leaves. Remove the rest of the cabbage and chop into bite size pieces.
Mix beef, rice, onion, egg, 1/2 T. salt and all of the pepper in a large bowl.
Spray the crock of a slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place the chopped up cabbage in the bottom.
Lay out a cabbage leaf, and place about 3/4 C. of the meat mixture in the middle. Starting with the core end of the leaf, fold over the meat, then fold in the sides and roll up. There should be enough cabbage to roll a tight bundle that stays together if you don’t overfill! Place with seam down on top of the cabbage in the slow cooker. Repeat until all filling is used - you should have about ten rolls.
Pour most of the tomato juice over the top. Depending on the shape of your slow cooker (ovals evaporate a little more than round tall ones and I find a little more liquid is necessary) cover the rolls with about an inch of liquid. Sprinkle with remaining salt, sugar, oregano, and thyme.
Set slow cooker to High for 6 hours or Low for 10. Serve over mashed potatoes with the extra cabbage and sauce.
