Wendy's Cabbage Rolls

Although technically I am the main cook in our home, my wife does make a few things very well. One of them being cabbage rolls. This recipe is fairly easy to make and the end result is delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cabbage


• 1 lb. ground beef


• 1/3 cup of cooked rice


• 1 medium sized onion (diced fine)


• 1 large can tomato juice or vegetable cocktail (V8)


• 2 small cans tomato paste


• 1/2 Tsp. celery salt


• 1/2 Tsp. garlic powder


• 1 box toothpicks to hold leaves together (For this recipe, the flat type are best)

To begin, blanch the cabbage leaves until just starting to go tender.Mix rice, raw onion and raw ground beef in a large mixing bowl.Add celery salt and garlic powder.Pour tomato juice into large bowl or pitcher, add tomato paste and blend well.

In a large roasting pan, add enough of the tomato juice mix to just wet the bottom of the pan so cabbage rolls don't stick.Take one cabbage leaf and add about 1 Tbsp. of meat/rice mixture onto the core end of the leaf.Fold leaf over meat mixture 1 turn.Fold sides over what you just rolled, then roll core end like you would do to make a jelly-roll.Stick 2 toothpicks through to hold leaf together and place in pan.

Continue rolling leaves until finished.Pour tomato mixture over cabbage rolls, cover and place in a 325° oven untill sauce has reduced, thickened and cabbage rolls are tender (approx. 1 to 1 1/2 hrs).Remove lid and cook for another ten minutes.Remove from oven, cool for about 5 minutes then serve.