Romanian Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls)

Since my family is Romanian, we of course make traditional Romanian food. Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls) are one of the most delicious foods ever! A lot of countries make cabbage rolls, but of course with different ingredients. Today, I'm using my mom's recipe of traditional Romanian Sarmale. They taste absolutely divine, and it's without pork! So, if you'd like to treat yourself and your family to an amazing meal, read ahead!

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cabbages, boiled in a large pot with 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (or just regular vinegar) and 2 pinches of salt.

• 3 pounds of turkey bacon, chopped

• 4 medium yellow onions, chopped

• 4 cups of rice

• A cup of shredded carrots

• A cup of bell pepper, chopped

• 4 medium sized smoked pork neckbones, or smoked pork feet or smoked turkey neck

• 3 pounds of ground turkey

• 1 pound of sauerkraut

• 3 teaspoons of sweet paprika

• 1 cup of fresh dill, finely chopped

• 1/3 cup of fresh thyme

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste

• Extra dill and thyme

• 3 8oz cans of tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS:

• Take a big pot and boil the water with one cup of apple cider vinegar and tablespoon of salt

• Boil until the cabbage is just cooked and is slightly soft

• Then you will want to properly cut the cabbage

Then we will need to cook our chopped onion. Once that's cooked, add in your chopped turkey bacon and bell pepper and cook. Add in some salt and pepper to taste

• Add in one cup of carrots

• Add in 3 teaspoons of sweet paprika to the mixture

• Add in the cup of finely chopped dill and thyme. You can easily just pull off the little leaves from the thyme

• Give it a good mix and take off from heat

• Then we will want to add in the clean rice and ground turkey

• Mix and add salt and pepper to taste

• Then we are ready to roll!

-After you have rolled all of your cabbage rolls (we yielded 113) you will take a big pot and line the bottom with extra cabbage, cut in slices, with extra thyme and dill. Add in smoked pork neck and smoked sausage

-Then you are going to add your cabbage rolls and line then from the edged, going inward. After filling about half of the pot with sarmale, you are going to add some sauerkraut with extra sliced cabbage and more smoked sausage, and add more thyme and dill again. The bottom layer and the middle layer will add extra flavor to the sarmale, making it perfect!

-Fill the pot with the remaining sarmale. Then you are going to add one last layer on top of the sarmale with more sauerkraut and sliced cabbage with thyme

-Add in the three cans of 8 oz. tomato sauce

-Add in hot water to slightly cover the sarmale

-Simmer the sarmale for around 4 hours, or until they are soft, and the inside is completely cooked

-When they are perfectly cooked, add a dollop of sour cream on top, and there you have it. Absolute perfection!