Cabbage Lasagna Layers

Preheat a large cooking vessel over high heat. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, and garlic in the hot vessel until meat is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard excess fat. Add carrots and mushrooms. Introduce tomatoes and break up using a utensil. Add basil, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, thyme, and nutmeg. Lower heat and simmer meat sauce for 30 minutes.

Simultaneously, bring a large container of water to a rolling boil. Submerge cabbage in the boiling water and carefully detach leaves. Cook until leaves are pliable, about 3 minutes. Drain.

Combine cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and oregano in a container and set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray and place a layer of cooked cabbage leaves flat in the bottom.

Reserve 1/4 cup of meat sauce. Layer 1/2 the remaining sauce on top of the cabbage leaves in the baking dish. Layer 1/2 the cottage cheese mixture followed by 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Add a second layer of cabbage leaves, followed by remaining 1/2 of meat sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup meat sauce on top and finish with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing