Germanfest At Home

Ok, so maybe it's not an actual festival, but this does look like a party in a pot:) Another fan, and friend on Facebook suggest I go looking for this recipe and I couldn't be happier she thought of it. Amy and I have been friends for years, and while we now live miles and miles apart from each other, Facebook has allowed us to reconnect and stay in touch. She asked for a recipe for goulash, so naturally I shared my simple, yet very satisfying recipe. She then mentioned when she was in Germany she had goulash made w/ cabbage and would love to have me find a recipe similar to that. So I started searching through my cookbooks and online sites, and after a little while stumbled upon this at Taste of Home. I love their magazine and website, and should have thought to try there at the start of my search! Not very often do they not have a recipe I'm looking for. Now while I know there a lot of variations of goulash out there, and I also know the one I make (which is my mom's recipe) isn't the most traditional, I had never heard of using cabbage in it. But through my search I learned this is indeed a very common dish in Germany, and here in the US, it is mostly seen in the south. See, this is why Paula Deen needs to invite me over for dinner, so I can learn about these things:) I have to admit the sound of cabbage goulash didn't sit quite right w/ me. I'm sure it's b/c I've been eating it the "standard" way for 25 years, but when I saw the picture I thought "yum", I could go for this. After all we love the cabbage roll casserole I make, and while different, this does remind me of that in a way.  So, pull up your lederhosen, grab a  stein of beer, put on some good polka music, and pop a tent in the backyard. Because this makes enough to feed the neighborhood, and your next party could be Germanfest--goulash and all!

Cabbage Goulash Makes 10-12 servings

1 lb. pork sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion chopped
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 TBS cider vinegar
1/2 -1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake, optional
10 c. shredded cabbage ( 1 large head should yield about this much)
Salt and pepper to taste
*Splash of water if needed- My tomatoes did not have very much juice so I added a little water go make boiling possible

In a large pot, cook sausage, beef and onion until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered 15-20 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

*NOTE* Comments on their site from readers suggested if cutting in half for smaller portion, only using ground beef and no sausage. If it were me, I would 1/2 lb of each. I think the pork flavor is a must w/ the cabbage.

Shared on Gooseberry Patch July 20, 2011
Shared on Savannah's Savory Bites Aug. 3, 2011

Cabbage