Chorizo & Chipotle Stuffed Cabbage Cups

Name: Chorizo & Chipotle Stuffed Cabbage Cups
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients: 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, divided; 2 finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon sauce, divided; 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes; 1/2 cup chili sauce; 1 medium head cabbage; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 8 ounces bulk pork sausage; 8 ounces fresh chorizo; 2/3 cup chopped onion; 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Our family and friends enjoy Polish recipes, and my hubby loves Mexican, too. I created delicious cabbage rolls that highlight the warm and inviting flavors of both nations. —Brenda Watts, Gaffney, South Carolina

Ingredients

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, divided
2 finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon sauce, divided
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 medium head cabbage
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces bulk pork sausage
8 ounces fresh chorizo
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 12 muffin cups. Shred a fourth of the cheese; cut remaining cheese into 12 cubes. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring one chipotle, adobo sauce, crushed tomatoes and chili sauce to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup; cover remaining sauce and keep warm.
Meanwhile, core cabbage head. In a Dutch oven, cook cabbage, stem side down, in boiling water to cover just until outer leaves begin to separate from head, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove outer leaves and repeat until there are 12 leaves. (Refrigerate remaining cabbage for another use.) Pat leaves dry. Trim the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and chorizo; cook and stir, crumbling meat, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in onion, jalapeno and remaining chipotle; cook until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute more. Stir in bread crumbs and reserved sauce.
To assemble, spoon 2 teaspoons sauce onto a cabbage leaf; add about 3 tablespoons sausage mixture. Top with a cheese cube. Pull together cabbage edges to overlap; fold over filling. Place folded side down in prepared muffin cup. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves. Top with remaining sauce. Bake until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Freeze option: Cover and freeze baked cabbage cups on waxed paper-lined baking sheets until firm. Transfer to resealable plastic freezer bags; return to freezer. To use, bake cabbage cups as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through. Top with cheese.