Warm, savory, cheesy, comforting, deliciousness. Nothing says home-cooked meal like a pan of lasagna roasting in the oven. Now normally Italian foods are pretty difficult to man being a grain-free family. However, when you want something bad enough you find that alternative. You just always do, it’s called persistence (and a lot of failure).
We have tried numerous grain free lasagna recipes over the last few years with no luck like this one. I mean they were edible, isn’t anything coated in cheese? But nothing like this. It is mouthwatering good. We have used everything from zucchini noodles, to egg plant and even chicken breasts to fill the little but so important role of the noodles.
Now the good news, the noodles hold no flavor, just structure. So I knew all we needed was something to re-create the spectacular layers lasagna contains. The egg plant was chewy, the zucchini was watery and the chicken breast was just weird. But this, this was perfect! Like the best vegetable mimic to a noodle there is….and that is cabbage leaves.
No really, cabbage leaves create the perfect lasagna “noodle.” Soft but stable these babies held up well to the mounds of meat and cheese that are stuffed between layers. Just another way we can eat those good ol’ veggies without ever knowing it. But shhhh it’s top secret don’t let your family know and they probably will never ask.
This seriously is a mountain of luscious tomato and cheese drowning in my mouth. Bon Appetit!
- 1 Head Cabbage
- 1 Jar (low-sugar) Marinara
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1⅓ cups Cottage Cheese
- ⅔ cups Ricotta Cheese
- 6 oz. Cream Cheese
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Eggs, whisked
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Chives, fresh or dried work
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
- Brown hamburger and set aside.
- Heat a large pot of salted water until boiling.
- Wash and peel cabbage leaves off of head.
- Cut out the ribs to keep the thickness of the cabbage consistent and place in boiling water.
- Heat until just softened or about one minute.
- Strain on a dry towel to get rid of any excess moisture. Continue until you have enough cabbage leaves for "noodles".
- Mix ingredients cottage cheese through salt and pepper in a bowl.
- BEGIN ASSEMBLY
- Place ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a prepared 8 x 13 inch pan.
- Top with one layer of cabbage "noodles".
- Add ½ of the cheese mixture, ½ hamburger and ⅓ of the remaining pasta sauce.
- Use a spoon to even out.
- Top with "noodles" and repeat.
- Finish the last layer of "noodles" by pouring the rest of the pasta sauce over the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Remove and add 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.
Why grain free? That is for another post on another day. In the meantime, enjoy the extra veggies in my Top Secret Grain Free Lasagna!