Halupke’s are also known as Cabbage Rolls. This Check dish is healthy and tasty. As a kid, my grandmother often made them using cabbages from her garden. They also a re a great Hunting Camp meal.

Several years ago, I was the cook at a hunting camp. We were high in the mountains and far away from the nearest store. We ate what we had. I had brought along a few heads of Cabbage to make some recipes. Usually, I used them in soups or fried them with bacon. One night it got cold, and the Cabbages froze solid! So much for fresh greens.

I brought the cabbages into the warm cook tent and allowed them to thaw, hoping that I could salvage something. All the leaves were wilted and soft. We were miles from replacements, so it was time to be creative.

Normally when you make Cabbage Rolls, you need to core the head and boil the cabbage to wilt and soften the leaves. This takes time and makes a big mess. In the end, the leaves looked the same as my frozen problem. So, I simply made Cabbage Rolls using what I had. The recipe came out perfectly!

When I make Cabbage Rolls at home, I core the head and place it into a plastic grocery bag and into my freezer, or outside in the freezing cold, overnight. 12 hours is enough. Now take it out and let it thaw and become room temperature. Once thawed, the leaves are ready to be stuffed and rolled. The old school way is to core the cabbage and blanch it in a pot of hot water. Then separate the leaves.

HALUPKES

1 large savoy cabbage. 2 is better because you can add cabbage to soup, bacon, fried anything or… You may not use it for this recipe, but you will use it.

2 lbs. of grind

2 onions

2 tbsp. of olive oil

1 cup of rice. White or Brown

2 eggs

Salt and pepper

2 cans of tomato soup or one large can

2 small bottles /cans of V8 juice or vegetable cocktail or tomato juice

1 can of chicken broth

Separate the cabbage leaves and lay flat. Cut away any tough parts and the core. If you cut the core first, it is easier to separate the individual leaves.

Cook the rice ahead of time and set aside. Brown the seasoned meat and chopped onions. Once these are cool, mix the rice, meat, eggs, salt/pepper, until combined. A little Worcestershire sauce won’t hurt.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the soup, juice, and broth. This will be poured over the rolled cabbages before baking.

Spray your casserole or baking dish/dishes with cooking spray.

Each cabbage leaf is a different size. Don’t overload them with stuffing. Use a small spoon to measure the correct amount. The goal is a full cabbage roll that can be closed in the cabbage leaf. Less is more here. I save the best-looking rolls for the top of my baking dish. This makes a better presentation.

Once you have rolled all of cabbage rolls, place them seam side down in the baking dish. Cover with the soup mixture. Place foil on top while baking. You can also use a slow cooker, casserole cooker, or Dutch oven.

Bake at 325 degrees for an hour.

What’s nice about this meal is that the starch, meat, and vegetable are all together in the same bite. You can add French bread on the side to soak up the juice.

Some campers react to the cabbage in a flatulent manner. Just make sure everyone is served, armed, and dangerous with the same ammunition.

Montana Grant