My cookbook is here! 
This is a delicious chicken + cabbage Alfredo dinner with a secret boost of protein coming from the creamy sauce!
This chicken and cabbage Alfredo bake is the ultimate “lazy gourmet” meal. Swapping heavy pasta for tender, shredded cabbage to create a dish that is surprisingly light yet incredibly satisfying.
The base of the dish is a savory sauté of earthy mushrooms, caramelized onions, filling cabbage and plenty of fresh garlic. Which provides a robust aromatic foundation that stands up beautifully to the creamy sauce.
The star of this recipe is the high protein Alfredo sauce, a clever hack that replaces heavy cream with a blend of cottage cheese, milk, and nutty Parmesan. This sauce blankets the chicken and vegetables, seeping into the layers of cabbage to ensure no part of the bake is left dry.
The flavors meld together, the cabbage softens into “noodles,” and the cheese develops a golden, bubbling crust. This is an all-in-one dinner that provides lots of flavor, fiber and protein!
If you like this recipe, you will also love my Easy Baked Cabbage Alfredo or my Ground Beef Cabbage Bake .
Thank you for stopping by Hungry Happens! I hope you love the recipe as much as I loved creating it! If you have the time, please leave a comment and rate the dish – it would be greatly appreciated. LOVE YOUR LIFE!
Chicken + Cabbage Alfredo Bake (Low Carb + High Protein)
Ingredients
- 10 oz beef bacon,, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 8 oz (225 g) mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small green cabbage, chopped
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp each salt, garlic powder, onion powder + Italian herb blend
- 1¾ lbs (0.80 kg) boneless + skinless chicken thighs, cut into small strips
- sprinkle salt, garlic powder + onion powder
Alfredo Sauce:
- 1 cup (210 g) cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3/4 tsp Italian herb blend
- 1/2 tsp each garlic powder + onion powder
- salt + pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup (50 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups (225 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- Optional Garnish: chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Add the sliced bacon to a heated dutch oven or deep skillet over medium high heat. Cook the bacon until crispy – about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside for now. Remove about half of the bacon drippings from the pan and discard.
- In the same pan, sauté the onions for 3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Add in the cabbage, drizzle of olive oil, and sauté for 10-12 minutes or until they soften. Add in the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian herb blend and stir to coat. Transfer mixture to your 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Add in the chicken pieces and cook on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to the baking dish.
Alfredo Sauce:
- In a mini food processor, pulse together the cottage cheese, milk, garlic, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian herb blend, pepper and parmesan until smooth.
Assembly:
- Transfer the sauce to your baking dish along with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Mix everything and spread out evenly in the dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella, sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden on the edges. Top with the chives and bacon and serve!
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
looks wonderful. Any thoughts on how to lower the salt content? Thanks.
This was delicious! I subbed ground turkey & turkey bacon (because it was all I had). Definitely making it again. Thanks!
Stella, I also made this recipe! It is amazing! I also substituted ricotta instead of cottage cheese and used old cheddar instead of mozzarella. I used rotisserie chicken, deboned and turkey bacon! Will definitely make it again! So good!
This was great! I made some substitutions because I wanted to use what I already had in the fridge. I only used a half cabbage because I would have called it a medium size, but wish I had used more. I think its better to use more cabbage than less. Wish I had seen the comment about how many cups of cabbage to use. I substituted a mixture of white cheddar and monterey jack in place of the mozzarella. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken so I added that, skipping step 4. Delicious! I’ll make it again!
Hi Ann Marie, That’s awesome! Yes, the cabbage does soften and ‘shrink’ in the sauteeing process. But I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
Can’t wait to make
Enjoy the dinner Tammy!
Haven’t tried it yet. Sounds delicious 😋
You’re gonna love the recipe Peggie!
Love all your recipes so much! Looking forward to making this! Can you estimate how many cups of chopped cabbage a “small” cabbage is?
HI Lindy, thank you so much for the support!
I would say about 5-6 cups chopped cabbage