Cabbage Roll Lasagna
This cabbage roll lasagna recipe is a lightened-up take on classic lasagna. Cheesy, savory, high in protein, and secretly full of veggies, it’s one of our favorite weeknight meals when we want an option that’s hearty and filling while still being nutritious.
Love fun lasagna recipes? Try our healthy Mexican lasagna, too!
If you’re skeptical about this cabbage lasagna, we understand. We were, too, but that all changed with the first bite. It’s packed with flavor and even more filling than traditional recipes!
Plus, it’s a lot easier to make and sneaks in veggies. With meat, cheese, rice, and a savory sauce, our kids never complain. Just boil the cabbage, layer the ingredients, bake, and enjoy a homemade meal for several days.
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Cabbage – We use a head of Napa cabbage and shred it ourselves, but you can use pre-shredded cabbage to save time.
- Oil – Use light olive oil or avocado oil to help cook the ingredients without impacting the flavor.
- Meat – We use lean ground turkey to keep the recipe a little lighter, but ground beef or ground chicken will also work. Drain an excess fat before adding the remaining ingredients to prevent the lasagna from becoming soggy.
- Onion – We prefer yellow onion for a sweet taste, but white onion also works.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper create a savory flavor.
- Tomatoes – Use canned petite diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to create the meat sauce.
- Rice – Use any kind of cooked white rice you have on hand. Opt for microwave packets to save time!
- Cheese – For the best taste and texture, skip the jars of Parmesan, buy a block, and grate it yourself.
How to Make an Easy Cabbage Lasagna Recipe
- Boil the cabbage. Blanch the cabbage in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and rinse in cold water immediately to stop the cooking process. Then, dry on a kitchen towel, and set aside to dry further. Don’t skip this, or your lasagna will be soggy!
2. Brown the meat. Cook the ground meat, onion, and garlic in oil over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as it browns. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and cook over low heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Layer. Spread half the cabbage mixture into the bottom of the pan, add half the meat mixture, followed by the other half of the cabbage and the final layer of beef.
4. Bake. Cook for 30 minutes. Then, sprinkle cheese over the casserole, and bake just until the cheese is melted and the sides of the casserole are bubbling. Enjoy!
Common Questions
We always serve our cabbage roll lasagna with garlic bread. With carbs, protein, and veggies, it’s plenty filling as is, but you can never go wrong with a side of roasted veggies, either.
This recipe is best baked right away. However, if needed, you can assemble all the ingredients up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and store the lasagna in the fridge. To serve, bring the dish to room temperature, and bake as usual.
More Comfort Food Recipes
Cabbage Roll Lasagna Recipe
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 the oven to 350F. Spray a glass 8×8 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.
This Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Lasagna looks absolutely delicious! I love the idea of combining all those flavors without the fuss of rolling the cabbage. Can’t wait to try this recipe for my family dinner! Thank you for sharing!
This Cabbage Roll Lasagna looks absolutely delicious! I love the idea of combining two comfort foods into one dish. Can’t wait to try this recipe for my family dinner next week! Thank you for sharing such a creative twist!
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!
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!
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!
Yummy lasagna!
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!
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!
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I will give it a wirrl this weekend. I usually make moussaka. As it similar and pasta free.
Hey John! I certainly hope you like it! Will you do me a favor and let me know your thoughts after you enjoy it? 🙂 Blessings!
This was amazing! We added a few extra veggies and used ground venison and quinoa! Delicious!
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!
Have you ever tried adding cottage cheese in addition to or in place of rice?
Hi Katie, I have not tried that. Have you? How did it taste? 🙂
I would love to make this! Is this freezable, either in individual portions or in a pan?
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!
This recipe is delicious, healthy and easy to make. Everyone who eats it asks for the recipe.
Alice, I am so happy that you love this recipe too! Thank you for taking the time to bless me with your comment 🙂