• 1 large head cabbage (may need more to get 12 nice leaves)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup quick cooking rice (not instant)
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup saltine crackers (about 15), crushed
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef (could use turkey); see comment below
• 1 (48 oz.) can V8 juice
• Parmesan cheese to finish

Core and cook cabbage in boiling water for about 10 minutes; remove and cool.  Carefully pull apart the leaves and cut out the hard white vein in center of each leaf.

Combine egg, tomato sauce, rice, green pepper, cracker crumbs and soup mix.  Add beef and mix well. Comment:  I recently read in “Hometown Favorites” by Cooks Illustrated where they substituted half of the meat for bratwurst, casings removed.  That would certainly add a “boost” in the flavor!

Place a heaping 1/3 cup meat mixture on each cabbage leaf.  Fold in sides and roll up.  Place rolls in slow cooker and pour V8 juice over rolls.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or until filling reaches 160 degrees.   This time I cooked them on high for 1 hour, then 5 hours on low.   Finish with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Serves 6 with 2 cabbage rolls per person

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com