This dish fills my home with the aroma of soothing comfort food.
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1-1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 T. long-cooking rice, uncooked
2 t. onion, minced
2 eggs
28-oz. can diced tomatoes
6-oz. can tomato paste
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 1/2 c. vinegar
2 t. dried onion
1 head cabbage, chopped and divided
Mix beef, salt, pepper, rice, minced onion and eggs together; form into 12, one-inch balls and set aside. In another bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar and onion; set aside. Place half the cabbage in a lightly greased 13"x9" baking pan; top with half the tomato mixture. Top with meatballs; pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining cabbage. Cover; bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Reduce heat to 250 degrees; bake for an additional 3 hours. Serves 6 to 8.
To get richer-tasting tomato paste, pick up sun-dried tomato paste in a tube.