I think my Grandma made Halupki (stuffed cabbage to some) almost every week.

When Grandma cooked – even when it was just her towards the end of her life – she cooked for a small army…

… and she ALWAYS made a care package for me.

I visited her at least once a week, and there was always a quart jar of some kind of homemade soup waiting for me in the fridge, usually a container of halupkis (or maybe stuffed peppers or something else that week), and then a bag full of goodies (cookies or cereal or candy or ALL three!) to treat the kids.

Grandma’s 80th Birthday sharing her cake with Nick in our backyard

She kept an ongoing bag in the closet that she added to each time she shopped or made something so I always had a “Grandma Bag” to take home.  Sometimes she even picked up dish towels or other small kitchen tools.  She was always thinking of me, and always so giving.

I haven’t made halupkis in quite a while, so thought it would be fun to do.  (Funny how this blog has inspired me to stretch out of the normal chicken salad, pasta with meatballs, and other “usual” dinners to more creativity so I can blog about it…)  Definite bonus for Marty and family and friends that I share the “lovin’ from my oven” with 🙂 .

I hope Grandma would be proud of my halupkis – – – though hers were pure perfection – each sized the same in tight little cabbage packages – – – I’m not so fussy…

Halupki is a dish made of rice, beef, and pork encased in cabbage with a thin, sweet tomato sauce.  Every family has their own twist on this traditional “hunky” comfort food dish.

One of Grandma’s tricks for her sauce was to mix tomato sauce, tomato soup and some of the water the cabbage was boiled in.

I hope you enjoy these with mashed potatoes – a must with Grandma’s halupkis.

Here is the recipe as I made it and as I recall from Grandma.

Makes: Enough for a small army (or approx. 60 halupkis)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3 large heads of cabbage, cored
2 lbs ground beef
2 lbs pound ground pork
2 lbs ground veal
1  1/2 lbs thick sliced bacon
4 cups cooked white rice
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 28 oz can tomato sauce
4-5 Family size cans Campbell’s Tomato Soup

Place cabbage in a deep pot and cover with water. Add salt to taste, and bring water to a boil.

Remove outer leaves as they begin to separate from cabbage head. Continue to pull leaves off while boiling for approximately 15 minutes. Trim thick center vein off cabbage leaves. Chop remaining core of cabbage and place in bottom of greased (I use Pam spray) roasting pan.

Reserve 4 cups of the cabbage water to mix with the tomato sauce and soup for sauce. Combine sauce ingredients and place 2 cupx over chopped cabbage in roasting pan.

Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces and fry. When cooked, drain off most of the grease, leaving enough in the pan to saute onions and garlic. Saute until translucent.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, pork, veal, bacon, rice, onion, garlic, egg, salt and pepper.

Form oblong balls of meat mixture and place in center of cabbage leaves. Fold sides over filling and roll cabbage around meat.

Place in a roasting pan on top of chopped cabbage and sauce. When all are rolled and placed, pour remaining sauce over top of all.

Cover pan, and bake approximately 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes.
ENJOY!

Best Ever Blue Enamel Pot for Roasting Halupkis! You can get it HERE!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi