A deliciously cheesy oven baked keto kale casserole. I bake two of these healthy casseroles at a time, to make sure I have yummy leftovers!
This cheesy ground beef and kale casserole is amazing. It’s filling, healthy and delicious. It’s also quite easy to make!
Confession time: I’m not a huge fan of kale. I find it bitter. When it comes to eating green leafy veggies, I much prefer spinach and broccoli to kale. (Speaking of spinach, this low carb spinach lasagna is so good!)
But this yummy keto kale casserole is different. I really like it. It’s probably the pizza-like flavors and the cheesiness. Those make kale very palatable indeed. Even my youngest, The Picky Eater, likes this casserole.
Is this kale casserole healthy?
I believe it is. I don’t need to tell you that kale is healthy, though not everyone agrees that it deserves a “superfood” status. Fresh unprocessed beef is very nutritious. And luckily, new research says that for most healthy people, cheese is harmless.
How to serve this kale casserole?
This casserole is a complete meal. But to round up dinner and add some color to your plate, you can add a side. I like to add roasted cherry tomatoes or roasted carrots. Both add beautiful color and are very healthy.
Can you keep the leftovers?
Yes! This is another big advantage of this ground beef kale casserole: leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container. You can keep them for up to three days. Reheat gently, in the microwave on 50% power. You can also freeze leftovers, preferably in individual portions, for up to 3 months.
More kale recipes you might enjoy
While we’re on the subject of palatable kale, I also highly recommend these crispy, addictive kale chips!. And sauteed kale is a very easy side dish to make, that goes well with many main courses.
Cheesy Kale Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 10 oz fresh kale
- 2 cups marinara sauce, no sugar added (I like Rao's)
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat broiler on high.
- In an oven-and-broiler-safe deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes.
- Add the beef. Cook, stirring to break up and crumble the beef, until no longer raw, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano.
- In batches, stir the kale into the beef mixture, cooking just until it slightly wilts.
- Stir in the marinara sauce. Cook until heated through, about 2 more minutes.
- Mix half the cheese into the mixture.
- If not using a broiler-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a broiler-safe dish. I used a nonstandard dish from Sur la Table that measures 9 X 7 inches. In standard sizes, I think the closest would be a square 8 inches baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil just until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Allow the kale casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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