This very tasty ground beef casserole is keto and low carb. One of my easiest ground beef recipes, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Whenever I’m not sure what to make for dinner, I make this tasty casserole. Making it couldn’t be easier! Brown some ground beef, add cream cheese and spices, sprinkle with shredded cheddar and bake.
This casserole is keto and low carb, low calorie too if that’s a concern for you. But most importantly, it’s delicious!
Ground beef is so convenient
I always have vacuum-packed ground beef in the fridge. It’s just so convenient. I use it to make many tasty recipes, such as these:
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients when making this tasty ground beef casserole (the exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
Ground beef: I use extra-lean ground beef in this recipe. Normally I prefer lean, not extra-lean. But here, I drain the fat anyway, plus I add other creamy ingredients.
Salt and pepper: I use fine sea salt. If you use coarse kosher salt, you can increase the amount you use.
Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Make sure they are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Cream cheese: I use reduced-fat, but full-fat is fine if that’s what you prefer.
Shredded cheddar: I love using extra-sharp cheddar.
Parsley: Used mostly for garnish, but it also adds a nice layer of flavor.
How to make a ground beef casserole
This recipe is so easy! I included detailed instructions in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
You quickly brown the ground beef with a few spices.
Mix in some cream cheese and shredded cheddar.
Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and sprinkle with a little more cheese.
Then bake until the cheese is melted.
I intentionally don’t include chopped onion in this recipe, because it’s very tasty with the onion powder and it’s so much easier not to deal with chopping an onion.
Of course, you can add a medium chopped onion when browning the beef! Maybe you’re not as lazy as I am. 😉
Why I’m using low-fat ingredients
I used to always buy lean ground beef (85% lean). But recently I’ve started experimenting with using extra lean ground beef (93% lean).
In many ground beef recipes, including this casserole, I end up draining the fat anyway. So it actually makes sense to use leaner ground beef.
Over the years of eating a low carb diet, I have also slowly realized that there IS such a thing as too much fat. I believe that one can’t overeat in abandon (both fat and calories) and expect not to gain weight, even on a low carb or a ketogenic diet.
So you’ll see that in this recipe, I use extra lean beef, reduced-fat cream cheese and a relatively small amount of shredded cheddar, with excellent, tasty and creamy results. However, if you wish, by all means, use higher fat ingredients!
What to serve with ground beef casserole?
Any side dish, really. It’s so very versatile. I most often serve it with an easy salad of tossed greens, or with a simple vegetable dish such as steamed broccoli or roasted asparagus.
What about leftovers?
This casserole makes excellent leftovers that taste even better the next day and can keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. I reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power. Sometimes I freeze individual servings. They can be frozen for up to three months and reheated in the microwave.
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Ground Beef Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray for pan
- 2 lb. extra lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 2-quart casserole dish with olive oil and set it aside.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly spray it with olive oil.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef and return it to the skillet.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne into the beef, then slowly and patiently mix in the cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated.
- Turn the heat off, and mix 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar into the beef mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top.
- Bake the ground beef casserole until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.