A Family Tradition with German Hungarian & Ukrainian Roots
There are winter days that practically ask for comfort food…those big, fat snows that roll in like a white curtain and turn the world quiet. When the forecast promised exactly that, we knew it was time to make the dish that warms us from the inside out. Some call it “sarma”, “hulapsi”, “galumpki”, even pigs in a blanket, but we simply call it Stuffed Cabbage. This dish is a blend of our favorite family flavors, inspired by my mother‑in‑law’s excellent halupsi and reimagined with a German‑Hungarian twist. Every family has its own version of stuffed cabbage, and ours brings together the Ukrainian comfort of tender cabbage leaves with a rustic meat filling enriched by our beloved paprika, giving the dish its warm, rich, slightly sweet depth.
As we waited for blizzard of February 2026 to roll in, Sasha Jr. and Chrissy headed out early to volunteer at the Winter Essen at the Trenton Donauschwaben, leaving little Leo with us for the day. With the house buzzing, the weather soon to get wild, and the weekend winding down, it felt like the perfect time to get everyone together for a comforting Sunday family dinner. And that is what we did.
Stuffed Cabbage was served with warm Pillsbury Crescent rolls, and another favorite, Baba dumplings filled with meat and topped with sour cream and fresh parsley. Yum, says everyone! For a quick dessert, we rounded out the meal with a true crowd‑pleasing duo: a classic all‑American chocolate cake served alongside a slice of pure heaven: poppyseed strudel.
“Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than this fine family, good food, something to drink, and snow falling outside.“
by Janet Fricker Malofiy
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. mix of ground pork and beef
1 ½ cup of cooked rice - 1 egg
1 onion chopped - 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- Kosher salt
- Ground pepper
1-2 Tbsp. sweet paprika (Hungarian, of course)
2 large heads green cabbage
16 oz. sauerkraut
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 large cans tomato soup
- Kosher salt
- Ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- Splash red wine
Method
To prepare the meat mixture, sauté the onions and garlic until soft. Stir in tomato paste and remove from heat. Combine ground meat in a bowl with egg, cooked rice, and sauteed onion mixture. Toss together with hands and season with paprika and generous amount of salt and pepper. Set this mixture aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Remove large outer damaged leaves from cabbage. Cut out the cores of cabbage with a sharp knife. Place head in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Remove from water, separate leaves from head, devein large stalks and lay flat to cool. Set aside any small or misshapen leaves. Place about ½ cup of meat filling in the center of a cabbage leaf and rollup firmly tucking edges in. Line casserole dish with sauerkraut, cabbage leaves and tomato sauce, reserving half to cover rolls. Lay rolls side by side in dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour remaining sauce and sauerkraut over rolls, cover and bake until meat is cooked.
For Tomato sauce – mix all ingredients and heat. If desired, you may also add 16 oz. can of crushed tomatoes to thicken sauce.
