Food Friday - Stuffed Cabbage and Crash Potatoes

Can you believe it?  It is another "Two Fer"!  I figured since the photo was blurry (oops!) I wouldn't subject you to seeing it twice!

Crock Pot Stuffed Cabbage
adapted from . .. I don't know! 

Sorry again for the slightly blurry photo - I could have sworn it was clear when I took it :-/  I came across this recipe over a year ago and it has become a favorite in out house (I know, my mom is saying WHAT??)  First of all, my husband loves cabbage as a side dish; I learned that only a few years ago but I guess it is something he grew up on and never understand why I didn't cook it.  I though, ummm, cabbage was for cole slaw ;-) LOL  Needless to say when I saw this recipe I decided to try and and I figured I could just eat the filling but, after cooking in the crock-pot for 6-8 hours the cabbage just melts.  Even the kids will eat the filling on this (and a little cabbage that I can hide while cutting it up HA!)  This time I served it with Crash Potatoes (recipe to follow) and green beans.

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
1 egg
1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup uncooked rice (I use white, the recipe says brown . . .I'm afraid brown won't actually cook up)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 pound ground beef (use something lean like ground round, sirloin, or even turkey - per the recipe)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2-3 cups of regular V8 juice

Core the cabbage.  Very carefully peel off large cabbage leaves (8-12; personally I usually fill about 8 and run out of filling) and wash them.  Then steam them in the microwave for about 30 seconds (I just lay them on a paper towel) to make them soft enough to use.  In a mixing bowl, combine everything except the V-8 juice and mix well - it will be like a very gloppy meatloaf.   Place about 1/3 cup of mixture into each cabbage leave and roll or fold it; place it in the crock, seam side down.  It's okay to stack the rolls on top of each other in the crock.  Top with 2-3 cups of V-8 Juice.  I try to fill my crock until the juice comes about 1/2 way up roll cabbage but you can add more.  The last time I made it, there was no liquid left after 7 hours so the leaner the meat the more juice you will want to use. 

Crash Potatoes
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and, because I'm always looking for new side dish ideas, I thought I would try these.  I was not convinced that we would love them, nor was I convinced that we wouldn't need to drag some dry potato pieces in ketchup but, I was proven wrong.  Once these cook in the oven, they become slightly crunchy and the seasoning/olive oil had so much flavor it is unbelievable.  Even my husband, who is not a huge potato fan, loved them.

Ingredients:
12 whole New Potatoes (or other small Round Potato)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Other seasonings to taste (Rosemary or other herbs of choice)

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until fork tender*.  On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil.  Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.  With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it is slightly mashed; rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again.  Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.  Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper and seasonings of your chose (I just used Nature's Seasoning - a favorite of ours).  Baked in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

*Make sure that they really are "Fork Tender" - I took mine out a little early and ended up with potato all over my counter when the masher slipped on the too hard potato!!