1 ½ lb ground chuck
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1 large onion, chopped or diced
¾ cup tomato sauce
2 cup uncooked white rice
½ cup pine nuts
2 tbsp dried mint or ¼ cup chopped fresh
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper
¼ cup lemon juice
2 jars grape leaves
3 – 4 cups chicken broth

In a large mixing bowl, blend meat and egg well. Add garlic, onion, tomato sauce and rice. Add pine nuts and spices, mixing well.

Rinse grape leaves well from brine of jars and pat dry, stems can be cut away carefully. Place one leaf face down and put a spoonful (large for large leaves, small for small leaves) of mixture just above stem end, centered on leaf. Pull stem end up and over the mixture and then bring in the sides of the leaf.

Hold sides carefully as you roll the leaf up towards its tips. Place the wrap into a crock pot, tip side down to prevent unraveling.

Continue until all leaves are used or all mixture is gone, layering the wraps in the crock pot loosely.

Cover the entire mixture with chicken broth and lemon juice, just to cover the top layer. Cook in crock pot on low for 4 – 8 hours. As this will be a large batch of Dolmathas, you can lay aside leftovers and freeze them for later snacking.

Submitted by: Laura