Cabbage Rolls - Old-Fashioned Slow-Cooker Comfort Food

Now and then, That Man will request something specific for dinner, and more often than not, that specific something will be cabbage rolls.  He remembers going to a friend's house, the friend's wife making cabbage rolls, and his thinking they were the greatest thing ever!  

Because tradition has it that you should eat cabbage on New Year's Day for prosperity, I usually make cabbage rolls around that time, if not on the day itself.  Honestly, it's been quite a while since I last made cabbage rolls - probably three or more years.  Somehow, the thought of dealing with the cabbage leaves seems, well, hard.  It's really not, though the thought of them is, sort of.  

Once I decide to make cabbage rolls, the actual deal with the leaves isn't bad at all.  And I get extra wife-points for fixing one of his favorites.  So worth it!

This recipe is based on one in the original edition (1975) of Crockery Cookery by Mabel Hoffman, from the time when slow cookers were the new, trendy kitchen gadget and very few had removable crocks - yikes!  But there are a lot of very good recipes in there.  Sadly, the paperback binding on my copy is disintegrating.  I expect I'll soon have to cut the pages out, punch holes in them, and put them in a three-ring binder.  Better than losing a book I use often!

No guarantee of how "Swedish"
these are, but they are delicious!

Swedish Cabbage Rolls

12 large cabbage leaves
1 beaten egg
1/4 c milk
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t onion powder
1 lb lean ground beef
1 c cooked rice
12-oz bottle chili sauce (or 1 1/2 c ketchup)
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 T lemon juice
1 T Worchestershire sauce

There are a few ways to prepare the cabbage leaves before you fill them:

1. Immerse the leaves in a large pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes, until limp; drain.  These are the instructions in the original recipe.  That's all right for about the first 4 outer leaves, but as you proceed, the leaves get tighter and tighter on the cabbage, and it gets progressively more difficult to pry them loose without tearing them, and you want them whole.
   
   
2. Freeze the whole head of cabbage overnight, then take it out to thaw in the morning.  The leaves are supposed to release from the head easily, and they're already limp enough to work with.  I don't have any firsthand experience with this method - I've only heard of it, and it sounds like it should work, but I rarely have a cabbage-sized space available in the freezer, so I haven't tried it myself.  Maybe next time - after the turkey, ham, and corned beef brisket are gone.
   
   
3. Place the whole head of cabbage in the microwave for one minute at high power.  The next 3 or 4 leaves will release fairly easily.  This is the method I've used the last few times I've made cabbage rolls.  I just repeat until I have the number of leaves I need.  They aren't as limp as they would be with the first method, which is quite okay with me because they're going to be in the slow cooker most of the day, so I'd rather the leaves start out more on the raw side.

Combine egg, milk, onion, garlic, and seasonings.  Add meat and rice and combine well.  Place about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture in the center of each leaf.  Fold in the sides and roll ends over the meat, kind of like making a small burrito.  Place in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, and pour over the cabbage rolls.  Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. 

I serve them with dinner rolls or french bread.