Or as we like to call them—Hungarian pigs in a blanket! (We’re a bit silly, if you haven’t noticed.) This dish traveled into our hearts long ago and has satisfied our families for generations. It was surprising to us that this comfort food that we grew up on wasn’t that bad for you! Made with lean ground beef, rice, and veggies, and covered in a tomato sauce, these rolls will fill you up but not weigh you down.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 to 10 servings

　　1 large head of green cabbage

　　1 pound lean ground beef chuck

　　1/3 cup cooked long-grain white rice (see page 195)

　　1 small onion, grated

　　2 large eggs

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 large onion, sliced

　　3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

　　1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

　　4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

　　1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Remove 15 large leaves from the cabbage and trim off the thickest part of each leaf. Pour boiling water over the cabbage and let the leaves soak until they are pliable, about 4 minutes. Remove from the water, pat dry, and set aside.

　　

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice, grated onion, eggs, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Place 1/4 cup of the meat mixture in the cupped part of each of the softened cabbage leaves. Fold over the sides of each leaf and roll them up. Recipe will make 8 to 10 rolls. Place the remaining 5 cabbage leaves in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Arrange layers of cabbage rolls seam side down, then add a layer of sliced onion over the cabbage rolls. Top the onion slices with another layer of cabbage rolls.

　　

Step 4

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the cabbage rolls. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the casserole with the brown sugar, cover the dish with foil, and continue baking for 1 hour. Remove and serve hot. Spoon pan juices over rolls.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.