Recipe: Barbara Walter's Mother's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Barbara Walter's Mother's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Recipe By: Mary Brubaker - March 26, 1979
Servings: 14

3 pounds lean ground chuck
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons celery salt
1/2 cup catsup
2 eggs
1/2 cup crushed unsalted crackers
2 heads green cabbage -- (2-lb. size)
6 quarts boiling water
3 cups chopped onion
2 bottles chili sauce (12-oz. each)
1 jar grape jelly (12-oz.)

In a large bowl, combine ground chuck, salt, pepper, celery salt, catsup, eggs, and crushed crackers. Mix with hands just until mixture is well combined. Cut out and discard hard center core of cabbage. Place cabbage in a large kettle. Pour boiling water over it; let stand until leaves are flexible and can be removed easily from the head, about 5 minutes. (If necessary, return cabbage to hot water to soften inner leaves.)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop up a scant 1/4 cup meat mixture, with hands form into rolls, 3-inches long and 1-inch wide, making about 28 rolls in all. Place each meat roll on a drained cabbage leaf; fold top of leaf over meat, then fold sides, and roll up into an oblong. Continue rolling remaining meat rolls and cabbage leaves.

In bottom of lightly greased 12x11-1/2x2-1/4-inch roasting pan, spread chopped onion evenly. Arrange cabbage rolls in neat rows on top of onion.

In 2-quart saucepan, combine chili sauce and grape jelly with 1/4 cup water; heat over medium heat, stirring to melt jelly. Pour over cabbage rolls. Cover pan tightly with foil.

Bake 2 hours. Remove foil; brush rolls with sauce; bake, uncovered, 40 minutes longer, or until sauce is thick and syrupy and cabbage rolls are glazed. Serve with sauce, spooned over rolls.