Cabbage Cheeseburger
Helper
All the cozy, cheesy comfort of the boxed classic — without the pasta or the processed ingredients. Seasoned ground turkey and tender cabbage simmered together in a homemade cheddar cream sauce that comes together in one pot. Weeknight comfort food, completely on plan.
- Main
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 head cabbage, roughly chopped
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ¼ cup water
- Seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Cheese Sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup half and half
- 1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
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1
Brown the turkey
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey and diced onion together, breaking the meat into crumbles. Season with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne directly into the meat as it cooks — seasoning at this stage builds the flavor into the whole dish rather than adding it at the end.
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2
Add the cabbage
Add the chopped cabbage, diced tomatoes with their juice, and water to the pot. The cabbage will look like an enormous amount — don't worry, it cooks way down. Stir everything together, cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender.
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3
Make the cheese sauce
While the cabbage cooks, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the softened cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking continuously until the mixture is fully combined and slightly thickened — about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the shredded cheddar until completely melted and smooth.
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4
Combine & serve
Once the cabbage is tender, pour the cheese sauce over the meat and cabbage mixture. Stir well to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more cayenne for heat or a pinch more salt if needed. Serve hot directly from the pot.
- Don't panic about the cabbage: A whole head of cabbage looks like way too much when you add it to the pot — it cooks down to a fraction of its raw volume in about 15 minutes. Use a large pot and trust the process.
- Season the meat, not the dish: Adding the spices while the turkey browns rather than at the end means every bite is seasoned throughout rather than having it sit on top.
- Cheese sauce order matters: Melt the butter first, then the cream cheese, then add the liquid — this order prevents clumping and gives you a silky smooth sauce every time. Always remove from heat before adding the shredded cheddar.
- Swap the protein: Lean ground beef works equally well here for a more classic cheeseburger flavor — use 93% lean and drain any excess fat after browning.
- Leftovers: This reheats beautifully — store in the fridge for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens overnight so add a small splash of water or broth when reheating to loosen it back up.