Ground Beef And Kale Casserole

Deliciously cheesy ground beef and kale casserole is flavored with tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano. It’s like pizza, only way healthier!

This cheesy ground beef and kale casserole is amazing. It’s filling, healthy and delicious. It’s also quite easy to make!

I first published this recipe in March 2017. I am republishing it today, with some added tips, variations, and reader reviews.

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 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.

The ingredients needed to make this recipe

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this tasty casserole. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.

1. Olive oil
2. Extra-lean ground beef
3. Salt and pepper
4. Spices: garlic and onion powders, oregano
5. Fresh kale
6. Marinara sauce
7. Shredded mozzarella

How to make kale casserole

1. Start by cooking the beef in olive oil.
2. Stir in the spices.
3. Next, stir in the marinara sauce.
4. In batches, stir the kale into the mixture, cooking just until it slightly wilts.
5. Turn the heat off and mix half the cheese into the mixture.
6. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes at 400°F. You can also briefly broil if your baking dish is broiler-safe.

Is this kale casserole healthy?

I believe it is. I probably don’t need to tell you that kale is healthy.

While current dietary advice is to limit red meat and saturated fat, I believe that fresh unprocessed red meat is very nutritious. Although I agree that we shouldn’t eat huge portions of it.

As for the cheese, unless you need to limit saturated fat, current research says that for most healthy people, cheese is harmless.

Why I use extra-lean ground beef

I have nothing against fatty cuts of beef. I think they are delicious. But when it comes to ground beef, especially in casseroles and bakes, I often choose extra-lean, because then I can skip the annoying step of draining the tons of fat that it releases as it cooks.

However, you can certainly use lean ground beef if you prefer and if that’s what you happen to have on hand.

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 dish. I like to add one of these sides:

• Roasted cherry tomatoes
• Roasted fennel with Parmesan
• Steamed cabbage
• Roasted carrots
• Roasted pumpkin

Reviews of this recipe

I love finding reviews of my recipes on Pinterest and Instagram! It’s always fun to see my readers’ beautiful creations.

On Pinterest, I found reviews of this recipe here and here. Look at those yummy pictures! And I love the interesting variations that people make. A few suggestions include:

1. Add mushrooms.
2. Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder.
3. Add red pepper flakes.
4. Add Parmesan.

On Instagram, Lauren posted this gorgeous photo and said:

This ground beef & kale casserole from @yumhealth is delish. Even if you’re not a huge kale fan, I recommend giving this a try.

Peyton was less than thrilled when I told him this is what I was making last night, but he said it was “a lot better than he expected.” And Harper… Well, Harper ate two HUGE bowls of it.

It’s low carb, healthy, packs in a lot of vitamin-rich leafy greens, and I’m guessing these leftovers are going to reheat beautifully for lunch. What’s not to love?

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. Like most ground beef recipes, you can keep them for 3-4 days.

Reheat the leftovers gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power. You can also freeze them, preferably in individual portions, for up to three months.

More kale recipes that 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 dishes.

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4.9 from 283 votes

Ground Beef Kale Casserole

Deliciously cheesy ground beef and kale casserole is flavored with tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano. It’s like pizza, only way healthier!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 343kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 cups marinara sauce, no sugar added (I like Rao’s)
• 6 oz chopped fresh kale (about 3 cups; I use half of a 12-oz bag that I get at Whole Foods)
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella, divided

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes.
• Add the ground beef. Cook, stirring to break up and crumble the beef, until no longer raw, about 5 minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.
• Stir in the marinara sauce.
• In batches, stir the kale into the mixture, cooking just until it slightly wilts.
• Turn the heat off. Stir 4 oz of the cheese into the mixture.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 4 oz of cheese on top.
• Bake until hot and bubbly, 10-15 minutes. If your baking dish is broiler-safe, you can broil the casserole instead of baking. Broil 6 inches below the heating element (not directly under), 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

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NOTES

Instead of cooking on the stovetop then transferring the mixture to a baking dish, you can use a stovetop-and-oven-safe Dutch oven for both the stovetop cooking and the baking. 

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. 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 Kale Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 343 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 607mg26%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 31g62%

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

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