You Can Never Go Wrong With Cabbage Burgers

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Cabbage burgers bring me back to my childhood.  My mother used to make them all of the time.  Well, she'd make them every once in a while, but when she did make them, she'd make a ton of them, then she would put lots in the freezer.  We'd just pop them in the oven whenever we wanted to have cabbage burgers for dinner.  These delicious packets are quite time consuming, so that it why my mother would make a lot of them at one time.




Ingredients for the dough:

• 4 T warm water

• 2 packages or 4 1/2 t yeast

• 1 t sugar

• 6 c flour

• 4 T sugar

• 2 t salt

• 1 3/4 c + 4 T of scalded milk

• 4T unsalted butter
  

• 2 eggs 

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 onion
  

• 1 T olive oil

• 2 cloves of minced garlic 

• 1 1/2 pound ground turkey (ground chuck can be used if you wish) 

• 1/2 head green cabbage chopped cabbage

• 1/2 head red cabbage

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 T butter

Steps for the dough:

In a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you don't have a stand mixer) put warm water and yeast and let mixture sit for about 20 minutes.

While you are waiting, scald the milk that you will use in the dough. Here is how to do that:

• Measure the milk out into a small pot.
• Heat the milk over low heat until bubbles form around the edges.
• DO NOT allow the milk to boil.

Notice the small bubbles around the edge, that's what you're looking for.

Add the flour, sugar, salt, scalded milk, unsalted butter, and eggs to the stand mixer (or large bowl) to combine.





















After the ingredients are completely mixed together (a minute or two), switch to the dough hook (on stand mixer) to knead the dough for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. If you don't have a stand mixer, knead by hand.


Roll the kneaded dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a warm, damp kitchen towel and let it rise for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the filling.






















Add olive oil to a large sauce pan over low heat, and allow the oil to heat.


When the oil is hot, add the onion (I like to puree my onion in a blender, however, you can mince your onion if you wish) and the minced garlic.
Sautee, stirring occasionally until the onions are lightly caramelized and fragrant.

In a separate pan, brown and crumble the beef or turkey.

When the onions have cooked, add the garlic, and cook for an additional minute or two.

Drain the meat if necessary (a perk of using turkey, no draining,) and add the sautéed onions and garlic.

Add the salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.

Add the chopped cabbage and the cooked meat and onion mixture to a stock pot.

Heat  to med-high and cook until the cabbage is tender and wilted. Be sure to mix the cabbage and the meat mixture well so that the turkey (or beef) is evenly distributed throughout the cabbage.

Allow the mixture to cool completely.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


After making the cabbage mixture, roll the dough out into a sheet on a floured board to about 1/4" thick.

















I cut the dough into squares measuring about 5 x 5 inches.





















Using a spoon, or your fingers (make sure they are clean) to place filling onto the middle of each square.

Pull two of the corners to the middle and pinch them together to seal.

Pull one corner to the middle, pinch it in the center, and seal the sides by pinching them closed.

Repeat the process with the remaining open side.

Place the cabbage burgers onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake the burgers for 15 minutes or until the tops are browned.
Top the hot cabbage burgers with melted butter.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before eating.
These can be somewhat time consuming, but I guarantee, it is completely worth it!

Enjoy!

~ Chef Megs