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A crowd pleasing low-carb keto cabbage lasagna recipe that can be made ahead. They’ll never miss the pasta in this veggie noodle version.
When our extended family gets together, I always make a dish that will serve at least twenty people. This year, I made up a huge pan of lasagna made with vegetable noodles.
Ingredients
I found everything I needed at my local BJ’s Wholesale Club. And, the sizes were perfect for a crowd-sized casserole. If you don’t have a BJ’s, you can probably find similar items at Costco or Sam’s Club.
I thought the five pound package of hamburger meat would be too much for the cabbage lasagna recipe. So, I opted for the smaller two pound meatloaf ground meat mix they had.
I also found a terrific jar of low carb marinara sauce. The brand is Rao’s and there’s only 4 grams of total carbs listed for each ½ cup serving.
All the cheese came super-sized which convinced me to up the cheesiness in the lasagna. And, after tasting the finished product, I don’t regret it!
I also grabbed a dozen and half carton of eggs to mix some into the cheese layer.
How to make cabbage lasagna
Just follow these simple steps to make the keto lasagna recipe.
- Pull the leaves off the head of cabbage carefully.
- Boiled or steam the leaves until soft.
- Remove the excess liquid from the cooked cabbage leaves with a towel.
- Brown the ground beef while the cabbage is cooking.
- Stir marinara sauce into the cooked meat.
- Combine the cheese with eggs and parsley in a large mixing bowl.
- Spread a small amount of meat sauce onto bottom of 11×15-inch baking pan.
- Layer cooked cabbage leaves over sauce.
- Spread half of the cheese mixture over cabbage leaves.
- Top cheese mixture with half the remaining meat sauce.
- Cover sauce with half the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat layers.
- Bake the layered dish at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until browned on top.
That’s it! Now your cabbage lasagna is ready to enjoy!
Cooks tips
Although you can save some time buying sliced or pre-shredded cheese, I like the taste of fresh mozzarella. You could shred it fresh or cut it in slices. I chose the latter.
The great thing about lasagna is that you can get the casserole layered into the pan a couple days before. Or, you can freeze the uncooked casserole longer term.
A large 11×15-inch pan isn’t likely to fit in most freezers. So, if you want to make this recipe ahead, you might want to separate it into two 9×13-inch baking pans.
I ended up baking the dish and freezing the leftovers. This makes this dish very versatile. You can make it as freezer meals or as a large pre-made dish for company.
Cooking the cabbage leaves
The cabbage leaves must be cooked before assembling the keto cabbage lasagna. They can be boiled or steamed in the microwave, Instant Pot, or a pot on the stove.
To boil the leaves on the stove, place them in salted boiling water for five to ten minutes until they are soft.
Steaming in the microwave is the fastest method. Just place the leaves in a microwave-safe dish with two tablespoons of water. Then microwave covered on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Rearrange the leaves and continue to microwave on high for another 3 to 4 minutes.
The whole head of cabbage can be steamed easily in an Instant Pot. Simply place the cabbage on the trivet with the core facing down. Add two cups of water and pressure cook on high for 5 to 8 minutes. When the time is up release the pressure quickly by opening the valve.
No matter which method you choose, make sure you remove the excess water from the leaves before using.
Cabbage lasagna vs. zucchini lasagna
Zucchini slices are a popular keto alternative to lasagna noodles. But there are several reasons why you may want to use cabbage instead.
- Cabbage noodles are thinner than zucchini and are much wider.
- There’s no need to thinly slice the vegetable before using.
- Zucchini has more water content than cabbage and can make the casserole watery.
Other cheesy casserole dishes
Want more keto casseroles perfect for sharing? You’ll find some of our best loved recipes below.
- Keto Taco Casserole replaces high carb tortillas with thinly sliced yellow squash.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole (Keto) adds a tangy sauce and plenty of gooey cheese for a family pleasing dish.
- Low Carb Chicken Casserole is made with a cream cheese sauce that tastes much better than using a starchy canned condensed soup.
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole comes together much faster as it’s a deconstructed version of the popular stuffed veggies.
- Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole is sure to be a hit at family dinners.
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Cabbage Lasagna – Low Carb and Gluten Free
Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage
- 3 lbs ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ cup dried parsley optional
- 3 large eggs
- 2 pounds ground meat browned
- 40 ounces marinara sauce with no sugar added
- 32 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan grated (optional)
Instructions
- Carefully remove leaves from cabbage head.
- Parboil leaves in salted boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Drain and remove excess water with towel.
- Mix ricotta and parmesan cheese with eggs and parsley (if using). Set aside.
- Stir marinara sauce into browned meat.
- Spread about ¾ cup sauce onto bottom of 11×15-inch baking pan.
- Place a layer of cooked cabbage leaves over sauce.
- Spread half ricotta cheese mixture over cabbage leaves.
- Top cheese mixture with half the remaining sauce.
- Cover sauce with half the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat layers.
- Top off with additional parmesan cheese if desired.
- Bake 350F for about 25 minute
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First Published: December 2, 2016… Last Updated: May 2, 2020
Gina
Can you use napa cabbage?
Lisa MarcAurele
Napa cabbage leaves should work as well. They are a bit thinner though.
Jan
3 lbs. of ricotta is how many cups?
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s about 5.5 cups.
Debbi
Is it really 3 Pounds of Ricotta???
Lisa MarcAurele
You can cut it back. It was a BJ’s buy so I just used it all.
Denise
I have made this six or seven times. It is wonderful and I use the Rao’s Arrabbiata sauce, it’s spicy, we like it that way. I also frequently use hot Italian sausage instead of ground beef but today I used both. I also always use whole milk fat mozzarella and whole milk ricotta cheese.
maggie
Such a great recipe! My entire family loves this which is quite a feat since I have very picky eaters. Thank you!
Harold Watson
Thank you for these wonderful recipes. Eager to try them all!
Tara
Excited to try cabbage! noodles but…. 10 minutes of prep? I don’t understand prep times on most blogs. I’m guessing the prep would be an hour. But even if I had a sous chef and had every ingredient pre-prepped at my finger tips I’m guessing it would still be 30-minute prep including layering. Sorry, I’m not trying to sound rude. The prep times on most blogs causes me to chuckle and feel like a very slow cook! Perhaps you move at waro speed and have no distractions. My ground beef would hardly cook in 10 minutes let alone everything else that needs to be done! Lol!
Lisa MarcAurele
Prep is the actual hands on time, not counting cooking time. Some prep can be done while cooking such as in this recipe where you can prep the cheese while the cabbage and meat is cooking. But this recipe should be doable in less than an hour tops.
Gloria
This recipe is easy to make and tastes wonderful. My husband loves it better than traditional lasagna with pasta noodles. It’s a hit all the way around.
Bharat
How much of grated cottage cheese can I use as a substitute for ricotta? Can I even use grated or should I blend the cottage cheese first?
Lisa MarcAurele
I would blend the cottage cheese first and use the same amount as ricotta.
Retha
thank you. will try your recepi will let you know how if turns out!.
Lisa MarcAurele
Hope you love it as much as I do!
Sheila Thompson
Wanted to try this cabbage lasagna but I need to know how many weight watchers points are .
Lisa MarcAurele
I’m not familiar with the Weight Watchers point system. I find that just sticking to low carb eating works for me to maintain and lose weight.
Brenda W
It had never occurred to me to use cabbage instead of noodles until I had seen this post. I made my own version of this the way I normally make lasagna and substituting cabbage and it was fantastic! My husband loved it too. I like to do a pumpkin lasagna where I add some pumpkin puree to the ricotta mix and also in with the sauce as well and add some nutmeg on top of the Italian seasoning. I grew up loving stuffed cabbage and as soon as I saw this recipe I knew cabbage would taste great with this combo as well. Made it with ground beef this time but next time will try sweet turkey sausage!
Byenia
Love this recipe! 🙂 I used 2/3 the ricotta mixture called for, steamed half a large head of cabbage in the microwave and then blotted it thoroughly with paper towels, then added some extra sharp cheddar to the cheese blend. Wasn’t too watery, though it did need to cook for close to an hour. Also added a good bit of fresh basil, shallots and mushrooms to my sauce and used 1 lb. ground beef and just under a lb. of graziano sausage. Baked up like the real deal and my partner liked it as well.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing your tips for how to prevent a watery cabbage lasagna!
Valorie
The biggest tub of Ricotta I found was 2 lbs, are you positive on the size of the container!? 3lbs sounds like a lot of cheese! I love cheese but I’m kind of unsure of this much cheese?
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s the one in the photo. I just checked online (https://www.instacart.com/bjs/products/157264-galbani-whole-milk-ricotta-cheese-3-lb) and BJs carries a 3 pound so it’s got to be the 3 pound size.
Abigail Haddock
I have now made this several times and each time I mix it up a bit. I have found I do not need to par boil the cabbage leaves. They cook just fine while the whole lasagna bakes. I bake it 45-1 hour depending on how large and deep it is. I no longer want to eat lasagna noodles after tasting this. Yummy and great for company. I have even made it for vegetarian friends and add a layer of lightly sauteed peppers and onions.
cariola lamas patricia
I made this Cabbage Lasagna and turned out delicious. My husband is a Keto follower so was gratefull.
I recomnend it.
By the way I made homemade ricotta which gave it a better taste.
Thank you.
Yam
Can i use microwave instead the oven..
Lisa MarcAurele
I don’t recommend using a microwave as you won’t get any browning like you do from baking.
Elle
I dont have ricotta cheese on hand, can i use cream cheese instead? Any tips for substitution for ricotta?
Lisa MarcAurele
Typically, cottage cheese is the substitute for ricotta. Not sure how cream cheese will work out.