Thinking Outside of the Can

The other day I was making Lazy Cabbage Rolls. I was in search of a substitute for the Campbell’s canned tomato soup that is used in the recipe.

Why you might ask?

MSG, preservatives, lots o’ salt, a bunch of ingredients I can’t pronounce. Not that I am against Campbell’s because I have used it a lot in the past, BUT I am looking for a change.…and I think I found it. I tried Pacific Foods Organic Creamy Tomato and Amy’s Organic Cream of Tomato Soup. The winner was:

Amy's was more tomatoey and better texture. I added just a bit of tomato paste to thicken it up. Of course, it has a much different consistency, but worked well for how it is used in the Lazy Rolls. The Pacific Foods tomato soup is an excellent substitute if you are looking for a cream of tomato soup version that you would get from Campbell’s. It is not; however, suitable for any Lazy Rolls. I realize our mothers in the 70's and 80's were a slave to the markets. Campbell's was probably all that was available, but nowadays we have plenty other options to check out.

Lazy Cabbage Rolls - Sooooo Easy!!!

1 lb. ground beef
3-4 cups cooked long grain white rice
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 or 2 cans tomato soup

Cook rice. Brown ground beef. Cook onion 3-4 mins in oil or butter with a pinch of salt. Add cabbage and continue cooking over medium heat until it wilts, but no browning, and onions are translucent. Add the ground beef to the rice (this works well if done in a large, shallow bowl). Butter a casserole dish. Add rice mixture, followed by cabbage mixture, and top off with 1 or 2 cans of tomato soup depending on how much "sauce" you want. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

You can also use tomato sauce if you prefer a stronger tomato flavour and omit the ground beef if you want to do a vegetarian version. You can also try other options, like sausage (which Car did a long time ago).