EASY and healthy no noodle lasagna made in one pot and ready in 30 minutes! This cabbage lasagna is a hearty, oh so comforting meal that the whole family, including your baby, can enjoy together.
There are so many varieties of cabbage - green, red, napa, savoy, bok choy...I love them all! It’s such a versatile, inexpensive, and delicious ingredient. And if you are unsure how to make this underrated vegetable the star of dinner, I've got you covered!
Cabbage for babies
Cabbage is a leafy vegetable of the Brassica family, which broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are a part of. There are so many varieties of cabbages, green and red being the most common.
The Ultimate Guide to Cabbage for Babies
Ingredients
Highlighting the mains:
Ground beef - you can substitute ground chicken, turkey, pork, or bison. You can also leave it out and add in extra vegetables. We absolutely LOVE this 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef, an absolute freezer staple around here.
Cabbage - Green cabbage will work best but feel free to use whatever varieties you wish. SOO good in soups too!
Mushrooms - white or cremini will work best. You can also substitute with other veggie(s) of choice.
Bulgar wheat - if you’ve never tried this whole grain, it’s made by boiling wheat and then dried before packaging. As a result, they cook up quicker than other whole wheat varieties. Yay! Commonly used in tabbouleh and falafel, it has an earthy, nutty flavor with a slightly chewy texture and is bursting with nutrition. It’s a great source of key nutrients for babies, like iron, protein, and fiber.
Fresh ricotta and mozzarella - make sure they’re made from whole milk (fat is crucial during this stage) and pasteurized. They’re great sources of calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and protein.
They are great cheeses to serve to babies as it’s naturally low in sodium. For mozzarella, avoid the shredded kind in a bag or cheese sticks. They are low-moisture mozzarella and higher in sodium than fresh.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook ground beef and vegetables.
- Add Cabbage. It will fill the pan but carefully stir in. Once covered, it will cook down quite a bit.
3 and 4. Add bulgar wheat, tomatoes, and water. Stir. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
5. Uncover, add dollops of ricotta and thin slices of mozzarella, cover until melted.
Serving Suggestions for Cabbage Lasagna
For babies -
It's so important to introduce your baby to mixed foods early and often so they can get used to seeing foods touching. One pot meals will also save you time and sanity, all leading to more pleasant mealtimes ;).
Using kitchen shears, chop any large pieces of cabbage or clumps of beef. Mix in the ricotta cheese to make the mixture more scoopable for your baby.
This is the bowl that I absolutely LOVE. It comes with a detachable suction that is SUPER powerful. Easy to clean, toxin-free, and plenty of space for little fingers to explore and maneuver. I also love that their bowls and plates can grow with your child.
We also use these spoons. The short thick handle is just perfect for their little hands. And the flat head is great because there’s no wrong way to hold and bring to their mouth. and there's no need to scoop, balance, and all of that.
Thick foods like yogurt, mashed foods like avocado, lentils, stay on really well. You can hold it like this and hand it to your baby or place on the table or a bowl for your baby to grab. You can watch videos of my daughter using them on my Instagram.
Introduce spoons early and often but do let them dive in and get messy with their hands, as they most likely will. It's an important part of self-feeding.
Storage Suggestions
Fridge: transfer to an airtight container and store for 3-5 days
Freezer: I recommend not adding the cheese if you know you’re going to freeze all or some (e.g. add cheese to ½ of the dish). Fresh cheese is ALWAYS best! Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Will keep for up to 3 months.
Baby-Friendly One Pot Meals
After becoming a mom, one pot meals are all that I have time and energy for. Thus, I'm constantly coming up with new meals to add to our rotation. What I believe you'll also appreciate is my recipes are made with common ingredients, burst with flavor and nutrition, and super simple to whip up even on your busiest weekdays.
Try out some of my recipes and if you find yourself hungry for more, check out my One Pot Meals ecookbook (unique recipes that are not shared here).
Looking for more baby-friendly recipes that the entire family can enjoy? My cookbooks are packed with quick and easy, veggie-forward, freezer-friendly recipes!
Skillet Cabbage Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 medium cabbage, cored and chopped
- 1 cup bulgar wheat or quinoa
- 1 28 ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup whole milk fresh ricotta
- Fresh mozzarella
- Basil
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet/pan over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook halfway through, crumbling it as it cooks.
- Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic, and cook until meat is cooked through and the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning and combine for about a minute or so. Add the cabbage. It will fill the pan but carefully stir in. Cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly wilted.
- Add bulgar wheat, tomatoes, and water. Stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until bulgar is cooked through and cabbage is soft.
- Uncover, top with dollops of ricotta and thin slices of mozzarella and cover until heated through, about 2-4 minutes.
- Top with fresh basil and enjoy!
Kim says
Made this today in my dutch oven and it came out great. I doubled the meat and added extra cabbage so I can freeze half. Great recipe!
Min says
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Meg says
Huge hit with picky eater, toddler and husband.
Min says
I'm so glad!! Thanks for sharing!
Becca says
Really delicious! Never would have thought to make something like this on my own. My daughter really liked it, and I loved it—as did my elderly neighbor with whom I shared some leftovers, as we were leaving town for awhile!
Min says
Yes! We love this meal too. Super easy to whip up! And wishing you safe travels 😉
Kruthi says
Hi Min,
I liked this recipe and want to try it with my son.But we being vegetarians what would you suggest as a replacement for the beef?
Thanks!!
Min says
Hi! You can try adding beans or tofu!
Kruthi says
Thankyou Min!
Mariam Aziz says
Has quickly become a family favorite! So delicious. Great for a chilly evening dinner. We used quinoa instead of bulgar wheat.
Min says
love it!
Claudia says
Super recipe! Extremely easy and doesn't take long which is a plus with a little toddler at home. My son loved it 😍
Min says
Yup! That's always my goal! To make getting meals on the table easy even with little ones at home 😉
Christine says
Great recipe for the whole family. I make it at least once a month. tried it with carrots instead of mushrooms once and it was delicious as well.
Ashley says
I’ve made this several times. It is so good! My kids aren’t big fans of cabbage but I will keep making this for exposure. The ricotta and fresh mozzarella are essential! So yummy!
Min says
Love that you're playing the exposure game hard! And they are 😉
Manimala says
Hi what other alternative to bulgar wheat and millet. Will semola work?
Min says
haven't tried but I'm sure it would! Will need to adjust the cooking time a bit
Joey says
When do we add the Italian seasoning?
Min says
Sorry! Just added. Thanks for pointing that out!!!
Julie says
Delicious!! The whole family loved this even with no added salt.
Min says
So happy to hear!!!
TL says
Yummy! We used millet instead of bulgar wheat, as it's more available where we live. The ricotta makes a huge diference! Thanks for the recipe.
Min says
Yay!! I will try with millet next time too!
Valerie says
Delicious!
Min says
Yay!!