14 October 2021

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis / www.delightfulrepast.com

Golumpkis, or Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, is something I always make in huge quantities with a certain friend. But I recently decided I couldn't wait till the pandemic is over to do that, so I reduced the recipe to a "normal" amount.

It made enough for three dinners for two—one right away and two in the freezer. If you'd like to make my usual triple batch of Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, just hit that link. That post also tells my golumpkis "story."

Had this post standing by for when I needed a break, and this is the week; but I won't write about that. Just know that I appreciate your comments and I hope you will forgive me if I don't respond to them right away.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis

(Makes 20 to 22)

The Cabbage 

1 large head cabbage

The Filling

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound lean (15% fat) ground beef
1 cup raw long-grain white rice
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

The Sauce 

1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 Fill a large, deep pot with water. Bring to a boil. Core cabbage and set in hot water, one at a time if pot is not big enough for both, until leaves are pliable. Peel the softened outer leaves off and place them in a colander to drain. Return the head(s) of cabbage to the hot water until the next layer of leaves are pliable. Repeat as needed.

2 Meanwhile, in small skillet, saute chopped onion in oil until softened. Set aside to cool. In large bowl combine cooked and cooled chopped onion, ground beef, rice, eggs, salt and pepper. Mixing lightly with one impeccably clean hand is the easiest way to do it.

3 In 1-quart glass measure, stir together sauce ingredients. Pour half the sauce into a 3-quart casserole dish with glass lid or a similar baking dish or pot of that size. The depth of the particular dish I used allows two layers of golumpkis. You could also do a single layer in a 13x9x2-inch Pyrex dish and cover it with foil while baking.

4 As you work with each cabbage leaf, cut away the tough core. Cut very large outer leaves in two. Using a #30 scoop or a 1/8-cup measuring cup, place a scoop of filling on the leaf near the stem-end, fold in the sides and roll (rather like a burrito); no need to tie. Place seam-side down in pan. Toward the end, preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

Tip: Do all the scooping at once. Scoop mounds of filling onto a quarter sheet pan.

5 Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil if your baking dish has no lid and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F/180C/Gas4, and continue baking for 2 hours.

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Jean

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26 comments:

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Golumpkis. I hang my head in shame. What can I say? To me, it tastes like it sounds. I eat coleslaw every day. It’s a nice, crisp, moist, cool-tasting adjunct to my diet. But if you subject it to heat, you transform the crispness to limpness, turn the moistness soggy, kill the kool, and otherwise render cabbage dead, dead, dead. Just my OSHO. He said. Alas, I’ll go stand in the corner now.

ellen b. said...

We love my mom's recipe for golubzti, her Russian peasant version. Such a great comfort food.

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

I think this sounds delicious! Maybe it is my Irish roots, but anything with cabbage is yummy to me. Corned beef and cabbage comes to my Irish lovin' mind, and this sounds even better. I pinned it - thanks for sharing and enjoy your much-needed break. I am just back from mine. xx K

Sandy O said...

It was so nice to read your blog about Stuffed Cabbage - Golumpkis. My mother-in-law always referred to them as Golumpkis. She taught me how to make them. I only use ground beef, rice, salt, and pepper. I put the first layer of cabbage rolls in my blue enamel roaster, then add a layer of sauerkraut, a layer of cabbage rolls, layer of sauerkraut. Then I use a whole can of tomato juice to bake them. My husband and brother-in-law love them so much we have them for Easter and Thanksgiving.

Kitchen Riffs said...

This is definitely the size recipe I'd wanna make. We like cabbage a lot, but rarely stuff it for some reason. Good reminder that it's time again. :-)Good stuff -- thanks.

Cheryl said...

These look delicious and, believe it or not, it is something I have never made! Need to fix that! Now I'm off to read the companion post and learn about golumpkis . . .

Hope that all is well and that your little blogging break is helpful.

TONY said...

Golumpkis is something I have never tried, Jean. I am always up to try, new to me, food. While in India Marilyn and I visited a lady in Old Delhi who taught us how to cook various dishes. Over the decades we have worked our way round the Mediterranean and North Africa and tried every food going. Must admit we haven't been to Eastern Europe. Actually that's not true, Marilyn spent some time in Estonia working with teachers on a school project. We have often talked about the work she was doing but never the food she ate. Must ask her. Ha! Ha! So Golumpkis, we'll think about trying that. Thanks Jean.

Chef Mimi said...

These look so good! I actually made a deconstructed version of stuffed cabbage a while back for the blog. It’s just about all the elements, but layered. Then you don’t have to deal with all of the misbehaving cabbage leaves! Not as pretty as the rolls, but a lot easier and saves on cabbage.

Darlene Foster said...

This is a family favourite growing up. Mom always made a roaster full for special meals like Christmas and Thanksgiving. her recipe was exactly like yours. Thanks for the reminder.

TONY said...

Just a thought. Talking to Marilyn. Over the years we have travelled a lot in Greece, the islands and Crete etc. We have often eaten Dolmades. Vine leaves stuffed with rice, herbs and spices. They are lovely especially with a shot...or... two....or three of ouzo or a glass or tow of retsina. Sounds like a vegetarian version of Golumpkis. You find that with different countries often food derived from the rural communities, going back centuries, have similarities across nationalties.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

I hope you’re doing okay! I’ve never had golumpkis, but I would love to try them. There weren’t a lot of Polish restaurants near where I grew up, but considering all the flavors - I’d love these.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

I need to read your back story, Jean. I've never made Golumpkis. I do love cabbage if it's not overcooked, so I must give them a try. I hope you have a good week off.

Richard Sheppard said...

Oh, these are so yummy. So simple (but time consuming) to make but always surprises me how good they taste. I'm adding cabbage to my shopping list so I can make this week. YUM!

Esmé Slabbert said...

Thank you so much for sharing at SeniorSalon – Now pinned and RT

Michele Morin said...

I definitely need more cabbage in my life!

Sherry's Pickings said...

delicious! i love cabbage rolls tho i haven't made them for years and years. so comforting.

Helen at the Lazy Gastronome said...

My mom used to make them like this! I'd forgotten all about them. Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party - Have a wonderful rest of the week.

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

My late beloved and I used to make these every New Year's Day, along with pork and sauerkraut. I love cabbage rolls, Jean, and yours look wonderful!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

I really enjoy cabbage dishes, although not many people I know feel the same way unfortunately. I've eaten something very like this a few times but I've never thought about making it. Shame on me - it sounds deeply satisfying. I completely understand how a dish like this brings someone to mind so powerfully. I lost a friend recently and this week I made a dish that reminds me of a happy time our families shared in what seems like a distant country long ago.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sandy O, thank you for sharing your method. I love that you bake them in a blue enamel roaster, just like my honorary grandmother did!

Mike c said...

This looks great
My mother ( Italian) learned from her sister jn law (polish American) how to make thes and found these are very close to stuffed peppers or eggplants etc. the smell on a winter walk home from the bus stop would permeate the trip … not unlike fart actually.. but a pile of these in front of you when cold ( okay I am talking inland San Gabriel valley so cold is relative) was heady and I was a picky eater and lived these… hated stuffed peppers though. Thank you

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Mike! Yes, I think a lot of kids don't like stuffed peppers because the peppers can have kind of a sharp bitterness, but the long cooked cabbage is very mellow.

Treat and Trick said...

Never tried Cabbage Rolls so far, I think my kids would love them....

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, T and T. If you make them, let me know how the kids liked them!

gfe--gluten free easily said...

I'm one who thought I didn't like cabbage for decades. LOL Now that I've realized that I do, I definitely need to try your golumpkis! Of course, I love that they're naturally gluten free. :-)

Thanks, Jean!
Shirley

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

I'm glad you made that discovery, Shirley. I hope you'll make these soon and let me know how you liked them.