Ground Beef Casserole

A very tasty ground beef casserole that is also healthy, keto and low carb. One of my best ground beef recipes, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Whenever I’m not sure what to make for dinner, I make this easy and healthy ground beef casserole.

It is keto and low carb, low calorie too if that’s a concern for you. 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:

• Kale casserole
• Korean ground beef
• Ground beef meat pie

The ingredients you’ll need

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients when making this tasty ground beef recipe (exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):

1. Ground beef (I use extra-lean)
2. Salt and pepper
3. Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper
4. Cream cheese (I use reduced-fat)
5. Shredded cheddar
6. parsley for garnish

How do you make ground beef casserole?

This recipe is so easy! I included detailed instructions in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:

1. You quickly brown the ground beef with a few spices.
2. Mix in some cream cheese and shredded cheddar.
3. Transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle with a little more cheese.
4. 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. 😉

Is it a healthy recipe?

I believe it is. Some experts advise us to limit red meat. But fresh unprocessed meat is very nutritious and I believe it does have a place in a healthy diet, in moderation. Especially when accompanied by vegetables.

As for the cheese, unless you have a specific issue that requires you to limit saturated fat, current research says that full-fat dairy is not harmful and might even be beneficial.

Why are you 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 ground beef 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 this 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 ground beef casserole makes excellent leftovers that taste even better the next day and can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. I reheat the leftovers in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.

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Ground Beef Casserole

A very tasty ground beef casserole that is also healthy, keto and low carb. A super easy recipe, perfect for a weeknight dinner. Leftovers are great too!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole, ground beef

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

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 meat is no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef if you wish (I sometimes skip this step) and return to the skillet.
• Reduce 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 cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate and may contain errors. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please feel free to make your own calculations. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Ground Beef Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 265 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 372mg16%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 0.1g0%

Protein 28g56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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