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Cabbage Roll Lasagna

BySammi Ricke
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This Cabbage Roll Lasagna is full of whole food ingredients and delicious too!

To any of you that think this “healthified” lasagna recipe isn’t for you.

You are wrong. There is no way around it.

You can tell me it isn’t for you AFTER you try it.

Then and ONLY then will I entertain the thought that this recipe “isn’t for you”! 😉

Healthy lasagna? Yes, it's real! This gluten free cabbage roll lasagna is perfect for families.

I am SO excited to finally share this recipe with you all! Sarah Koontz is the inspiration behind this Cabbage Roll Lasagna. She made it. Loved it. And NEEDED me to make it!

The two months leading up to me making this recipe, Sarah must have asked me 59,000 times if I had tried it yet and what my thoughts were. Finally, I prepared it. Holy guacamole! No wonder she was on my case, it was AMAZING!

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This simple and super healthy fake out lasagna is PACKED and I mean PACKED with flavor and so filling. Just as filling as a typical lasagna. Honestly!

I knew I loved cabbage, but layering it with rice, tomatoes, ground meat, and Italian spices created something spectacular.

If you are looking at the list of ingredients and recipe steps for this Cabbage Roll Lasagna and feeling overwhelmed let me help.

  • Blanch your cabbage the day before and store in the fridge. blanching the cabbage is THE SECRET to this fake out lasagna. It takes the bite out of the cabbage and leaves you not missing typical noodles at all!
  • Store a few pounds of browned ground meat IN YOUR FREEZER for recipes such as this. (Just saute the onion and garlic in your pan before you add in the thawed browned meat.)
  • Use leftover rice or prepare the rice days before and STORE IN THE FRIDGE.

With these shortcuts you will have your gluten free lasagna oven-ready in a snap! 

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Layers of cabbage, ground meat, and tomatoes are all you need for a cabbage roll lasagna.

Now without further adieu, here is the delicious Cabbage Roll Lasagna recipe!

Cabbage Roll Lasagna Recipe

Sammi Ricke
Healthy lasagna? Yes, it's real! This fake out low carb casserole is easy to prepare and the best way to feed your family more whole foods! Layers of blanched cabbage, rice, tomatoes, ground meat (turkey or beef), Italian spices, and cheese combine to produce the MOST hearty and delicious weeknight dinner EVER! Don't waste your precious time on cabbage rolls, try this simple clean eating recipe instead!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Leftovers, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 people
Calories 343 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds cabbage, 1 head of cabbage or 1/2 of a large one
  • 1 Tablespoon light olive oil
  • 1 pound ground turkey or any ground meat will work
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (15oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or cheese of choice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350. Spray a glass 8x8 or 2 quart casserole dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Cabbage Layer ("noodles")

  • Start boiling a large pot of water. While your water heats, roughly chop the cabbage into 2 inch x 2 inch pieces. Blanch it in boiling water for 4 minutes. Then drain and rinse cabbage in cold water to stop the cooking process. Place the blanched and cooled cabbage on a kitchen towel to dry further while you prepare the meat filling.
    2 pounds cabbage, 1 head of cabbage or 1/2 of a large one

Meat & Rice Filling

  • Heat a pan on medium-high heat and add the oil, ground meat, onion, and garlic. Cook until the meat is browned.
    1 Tablespoon light olive oil, 1 pound ground turkey or any ground meat will work, 1 onion, diced, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Next, stir in the remaining ingredients: tomato sauce, drained diced tomatoes, cooked rice, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
    1 (15oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained, 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce, 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning, 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Layering the Lasagna

  • Place half the cabbage mixture in the bottom of the pan. Next add ½ the meat mixture, the other half of cabbage, then the final layer being the remainder of the meat mixture.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes then top the casserole with ½ cup cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and the sides of the casserole are bubbling.
    1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or cheese of choice
  • Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Ingredients Tips - Substitute brown rice for the white rice or ground beef, elk, bison or chicken for the ground turkey.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 343kcalCarbohydrates: 26.3gProtein: 39.2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 645.5mgPotassium: 13.5mgFiber: 2.9gSugar: 6.6gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 1.4mgIron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sammi Ricke is a talented cook with a knack for coming up with creative new ways to healthify recipes without sacrificing any of the flavor. Sammi has built a beautiful life with her high school sweetheart and enjoys her primary role as a stay-at-home mom to their two children. If Sammi's not in her kitchen, she's probably exploring a new hiking trail, enjoying coffee with a friend, or binge-watching the latest "Food Network" show on Netflix. Sammi's full Bio.

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5 from 1 vote

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42 Comments

  1. This Cabbage Roll Lasagna looks absolutely delicious! I love the idea of combining two comfort foods into one. Can’t wait to try this out for dinner this week! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  2. This Cabbage Roll Lasagna recipe looks amazing! I love the idea of combining two classic dishes into one. Can’t wait to try it this weekend – perfect for a cozy family dinner! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  3. Wow, this Cabbage Roll Lasagna looks amazing! I love how you’ve combined two of my favorite comfort foods into one dish. Can’t wait to try this recipe for my family dinner! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  5. This sounds very much like a cabbage soup my landlady shared with me this past winter; if the lasagna is anywhere near as good as her “Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup” is, then I’m going to double the recipe to share with my minister and his family, knowing they’d probably want to add some of their home grown vegetables to it. It sure reads as something good, especially if I double the Parmesan cheese!

    Reply

    1. Hi Joyce! Yes, it is very similar to stuffed cabbage soup..only in pan form! Ha! I hope you and your minister enjoy this recipe as much as we do. 🙂 Blessings!

      Reply

  6. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
    I will give it a wirrl this weekend. I usually make moussaka. As it similar and pasta free.

    Reply

    1. Woohoo! It sounds delicious 🙂 I have yet to try quinoa in it but we use ground venison or buffalo in most meals too. Thanks for letting me know your recipe experience, Jena! Blessings!

      Reply

    1. Absolutely! I think freezing in individual portions is genius that way you can throw one in your lunch box each day 🙂 Thanks for your comment and be sure to stop back and let me know how it turned out!

      Reply