Dinner’s Ready: Rachael Perdue-Harris’ Lazy Stuffed Cabbage

“I grew up in a home where both my parents could cook, and it was fun! We would have ethnic night once a week where they would pick food from different heritages. We would try so many different foods,” said Rachael Perdue-Harris of Daphne, AL. “I think this is where my love for cooking came from and why I associate food with love and bonding time. I also come from a big family up north, and we would always go to my Grandmom’s and have dinner to celebrate birthdays, report cards, and all the things.”

Rachael currently works as a front desk clerk at Belforest Elementary but also has a culinary degree.

“When we are all home for dinner, we enjoy sitting around the table talking about our day,” she said. “If you’re home and dinner is ready, then it’s mandatory that we sit together. That was always a rule in my home growing up, and I passed it on. Breaking bread with people is bonding time and togetherness!”

Rachael and her husband Elliot have been married for seven years and have three boys. Alden (16) loves playing soccer for the Daphne High School team, Drake (12) is an avid golfer and basketball player, and their youngest, Porter (8), enjoys playing goalie in soccer. The family enjoys the daily shuffle of extracurricular activities, watching the Pensacola Ice Flyers hockey games and attending concerts to hear live music. They also love to attend Eastern Shore Baptist Church on Sundays.

The dish Rachael and her family are sharing with us is Lazy Stuffed Cabbage, which is Rachael’s take on a childhood favorite called Golumpki.

“My mom worked from home, so we always had a delicious home-cooked meal, and one of my favorites was Polish stuffed cabbage or, as my mom calls them, “Golumpki,” Rachael reminisced. “She would work hard on this dish, prepping and rolling the stuffed cabbage rolls. I wanted to share the dish with my family, but the time was not always there, so I would make the casserole version, which is basically a deconstructed Golumpki.”

There is no doubt you will enjoy adding this recipe to your collection.

Lazy Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 2 cups long cooked rice
• 1 ½ oz fresh dill
• 1-2lbs lean ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• olive oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 head of cabbage
• 2/3 cups grated Mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Toss cooked rice with dill and set aside.
3. Brown ground beef in skillet (you can add a little olive oil if meat is very lean). Drain meat and set aside in a bowl.
4. Heat olive oil in skillet and add onions, garlic, paprika and cayenne. Cook until onions are brown and softened.
5. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, salt and pepper to pan and stir. Allow it to bubble a bit then turn it down and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add beef back to pot and keep low. Taste to adjust any of the seasonings. I like to add garlic powder and onion powder here.
6. While sauce is on low, chop the cabbage very small. I cut leaves off the core and chop.
7. Grab your 9×13 casserole dish. Add a little olive oil around dish to keep ingredients from sticking.
8. Layer shredded cabbage, then top with meat sauce, then layer rice. Add more cabbage. I press it down to compact then add last of meat sauce.
9. Place in the preheated oven for 45 min. 10. At the last 5-10 minutes of baking, add the mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!

Chef Tips:

• You can make ahead of time and freeze.
• Sometimes if we don’t want a starch I’ll replace rice with riced cauliflower.
• You can use shredded cheddar for a more tangy taste instead of mozzarella.
• Cut up a green bell pepper and sauté with onions to add more veggies.
• You can even add a creamy layer in by using 7oz of creme fraiche and mixing it with 1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice and layering that in between the cabbage and meat sauce on the last layer.

Author: Gabriele Jones

Gabriele has been married to her husband Daniel for 16 years. Together they have three incredible children - two boys, ages 15 and eight, and a sweet girl who joined the family last summer. She is a full time Pink Cadillac Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. When she isn’t spending time with family or building her business, she supports her husband who is the Lead Pastor and Planter of Forward Church in Foley.