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stir the mixture to combine. Cover and cook on high while making the rolls.

blend the beef, onion, rice, ketchup, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large mixing bowl. Divide the mixture into 8 por tions. Place one por tion in the center of each cabbage leaf and roll the leaf around the filling, tucking in the sides. Place the rolls seam-side down in the sauce in the slow cooker.

cook on high for 1 hour then cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Skim off any fat from the sauce.

serve the rolls from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

Lazy-Day Cabbage Rolls

My friend Andy Gnoza gave me this idea. Golabki, as stuffed cabbage rolls are called in Polish, were a staple in the bachelor pad he shared with my soon-to-be husband, Chuck. He came up with this idea when he was too tired to blanch the cabbage but still wanted the delicious stick-to-your-ribs fare that he remembered from his mom’s house. This is a simple supper that is perfect to serve right from the slow cooker.

One 32-ounce can tomato purée

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup white vinegar

½ cup golden raisins

8 ounces lean ground pork

8 ounces 85% lean ground beef

½ cup cooked rice

½ cup finely chopped shallot

½ cup ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large head green cabbage, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 large onion, sliced into half rounds

One 15-ounce can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

stir the tomato purée, sugar, vinegar, and raisins together in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir the pork, beef, rice, shallot, ketchup, salt, and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Form the mixture into 3-inch oval patties and set aside.

lay half the cabbage, onion, and sauerkraut in the bottom of the cooker with the sauce. Top with all the meat patties and spread the remaining cabbage, onion, and sauerkraut on top of the meat.

cover the cooker and cook on high for 1 hour. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the cabbage and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

Flank Steak

My local supermarket has what they call the “gourmet meal” section, where you can buy stuffed flank steaks, stuffed chicken breasts, and other seemingly complicated dishes to take home and bake. I always wonder how long they have been sitting there, and then whether anyone would buy another one after finding them to be tough and lacking flavor. Stuffed flank steak needs to be braised and cooked low and slow for the lean meat to become tender. The basic recipe for stuffing and cooking is the same, but the flavorings may be mixed and matched to suit your preference.

Flank Steak with Spinach, Bacon, and Mushroom Stuffing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

½ pound white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

Two 10-ounce packages baby spinach

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

½ cup finely shredded white Cheddar cheese

One 1 ½- to 2-pound flank steak

One 28- to 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes with their juice

toss the oil, onion, and garlic together in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high while making the filling.

cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp and remove it to paper towels to drain. Add the shallots and mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté until the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mushrooms begin to color.

transfer the contents of the skillet to a mixing bowl and add the bacon. Add the spinach to the same skillet and sauté until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper. transfer the spinach to the mixing bowl and allow the vegetables to cool. Add the bread crumbs and cheese and mix to blend.

place the flank steak on a cutting