Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

1 head of green cabbage
1 cup cooked white rice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoon lemon juice
4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
crumbled feta for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with oil.
Peel off cabbage leaves (no worries if they come off in pieces, that is the beauty of this recipe!) and rinse. Bring a pot of water to a boil and place cabbage in boiling water for @ 3 to 4 minutes. (until cabbage seems to give a bit and is more tender) Carefully remove cabbage leaves from boiling water and set on a rack or towel to drain and dry. (this step may be best done in small batches).

In a sauce pot, over medium heat, place the tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire Sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of the garlic. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally.

In a small non stick skillet, over medium heat, place the olive oil, onions, and green bell pepper. Add a small pinch of salt and crack of black pepper if desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become almost translucent, add the garlic, stir, and cook a couple more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl combine the egg, milk, remaining salt & pepper,paprika, garlic and stir. Add rice, stir. Add raw ground beef and mix well. Add onion/pepper mixture and mix well again.

Ladle a bit of tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish to help prevent sticking. Layer cabbage leaves over sauce in bottom of pan, using @ half of the cabbage. Next spread the meat mixture of the bottom layer of cabbage, spreading as evenly as possible. Pour a few ladles of tomato sauce over the meat, again as evenly as possible. Layer the remaining cabbage leaves over the meat and sauce, covering entire dish evenly. Pour remaining sauce over top cabbage layer and sprinkle with feta if using.

Cover and place in oven for 30 minutes, After 30 minutes remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.
Remove from oven after 1 hour and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup (slow cooker recipe)

I use a 7 qt slow cooker (crock pot) and place all of the following in at once. This will FILL the crock to the BRIM! You may want to use a size larger or add a little of the cooking liquid later in cooking to allow for room if you don't like working with a VERY FULL crock pot.

2 1/2 lbs stew meat, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cup frozen green beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
3 1/2 cups water
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp beef bouillon granules

Cook on low in slow cooker for 8 to 9 hours. This long, slow method of cooking enables the broth of the soup to really develop all of the flavors. It also allows the meat to cook through and begin to "fall apart" into the soup, it basically shreds itself as you stir at the end; allowing for a bit of beef in every bite!

This is another great make ahead soup that will keep well in the refrigerator all week for lunches, quick dinners, etc. Enjoy!

Hamburger Skillet Dish

1 lb ground chuck
1 bag egg noodles
2 envelopes brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk
1 can sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 tsp onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper

Brown ground chuck in dutch oven, add garlic and cook another 2 minutes and drain off grease. Cook pasta as directed. In separate sauce pot mix the water, milk, and gravy mix and bring to a slow boil. Pour gravy mix and noodles in dutch oven with beef and add mushrooms, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and allow to simmer together for 3 minutes stirring frequently.