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.
What a genius idea to use cabbage, it looks amazing and so much healthier! Thanks so much for sharing at You Link It, We Make It! Hope to see you back this week! http://bit.ly/1LqkYTN
This sounds so good and I love that it uses cabbage! How clever! Thanks for sharing at the Healthy Living Link Party. I’ve pinned it to my personal board as well as the party board.
Blessings, Leigh
Thanks Leigh for sharing this recipe with your followers 🙂 It’s a winner, that’s for sure!
Cabbage roll lasagna looks delicious, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning and tweeting.
Thanks for sharing on Let’s Get Real Friday Party.
Hi ladies – I have to admit that I am skeptical of any recipe that includes the words “cabbage” and “lasagna!” But, since you endorse it so highly, I’m going to pin it and give it a try. Thanks so much for linking up with the Let’s Get Real party.
haha I get it, Gaye! But you will be pleasantly surprised by this delicious meal 🙂 Blessings to you!
Love it! I made almost this exact same dish and call it cabbage casserole. Fake Out Lasagna sounds so much better ha ha. And I love that it actually does resemble lasagna. Good way to get my husband to eat more veggies! Thank you, as always, for sharing on the #SundayBlogHop I love *seeing* you and what you are cooking 🙂
Great minds think alike! Yes, SO many veggies in this meal. I love it! Thanks for stopping by, Jenn 🙂
Looks yummy and so healthy!
This looks delicious. I love cabbage so can’t wait to try it.
We can’t wait to hear what you think, Karen! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
This looks amazing! Like stuffed cabbage and lasagna all in one! thanks for sharing on healthy living link party.
Exactly, Anne! It packs a punch that’s for sure, so much flavor 🙂
That sounds delicious! I love the helpful tips for doing some of the prep ahead of time. Thanks for sharing, I’m visiting through the Hearth and Soul link up.
It is a surprisingly delicious recipe, I hope you give it a try. Even my kiddos love it.
Thanks Rashel for visiting and we hope you love the recipe! It really is ahhhmazing 🙂
What a clever way of missing out the pasta. Will have to try this.
Thanks Alison! We like to think we are pretty clever 😉
This looks amazing! My kids love lasagna, so I am eager to try out this “fake-out” version 🙂 Pinned! Thank you for sharing at Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up.
We love lasagna too, Angela! But honest to goodness, my daughter had two helpings! She said, “Mommy, I think I like cabbage. I never knew that before.” LOL So cute!
This recipe is amazing! What an awesome way to skip the pasta in lasagna. Thanks for the tip of blanching the cabbage leafs the day before you use them. Two thumbs up!
Thanks Ilka! Yes, blanching the cabbage is a MUST. I really think it makes the dish what it is 🙂 We will “see” you soon!
This looks amazing, and my husband and I can have it on our diet plan. Thank you!
Yay! It is always great to find new healthy recipes when you are making lifestyle changes 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Sherry!
Oh, Sammi! I am so excited to finally have this recipe up on the blog. I’ve got all the ingredients in my fridge and plans to make this for my family tomorrow night. Yummy….yummy…yummy. Even my cabbage hating daughter has admitted that this dish is tasty.