Meatballs & Cabbage

I love stuffed cabbage but I don’t love making it. It’s very laborious and takes hours. I usually make it once a year before the 6 week block of Jewish holidays and freeze to last us throughout. I had extra meat mixture while making my cabbage rolls, so I came up with this alternate version. Same ingredients, same delicious taste and texture with a fraction of the time. I have always used the stuffed cabbage recipe from the original Kosher Palette cookbook, tweaking as I go along if necessary. Trust me, a bowl of meatballs & cabbage will satisfy the stuffed cabbage craving for adults and kids alike.
* No raisins were harmed in the making of this dish.

Ingredients:
2 large heads green cabbage, cored, quartered and chopped into large medium pieces
2 tbsp vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1/4 uncooked white rice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Salt, pepper
2 onions sliced into rounds (optional)

Sauce:
Large 28 oz can tomato sauce or 4 8 oz cans
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* double the sauce to have extra to freeze or serve with. I always like to have extra ready since I’m a saucy gal. Also, no one wants dry meatballs.

In a large pot on the stove, steam the cabbage pieces (covered) in a few inches of water until tender. Check after 20 minutes to gauge. When ready remove the cabbage and drain the water. Set cabbage aside to let the pot cool.

Combine the meat, eggs, chopped, onion, seasonings, and uncooked rice to form meatballs.

Coat the bottom of the pot with the oil and put the cabbage back in the pot, distributing in a fairly even layer. Add the sliced onions. Place the meatballs atop the cabbage and onions.

Make the sauce in a large bowl, mixing the tomato sauce, sugar, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and cabbage, cover pot, bring to a boil on medium high, then lower to a steady but gentle simmer (I do this on low). Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until the meatballs are cooked through and the cabbage and onions are soft and saucy. Serve over white rice if desired.