Cheesy Keto Ground Beef Casserole

This keto ground beef casserole is ready in 30 minutes. It's an easy weeknight recipe that can be customized with seasonings and vegetables.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 304kcal

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 2-quart casserole dish with olive oil and set it aside.
Olive oil spray
Heat a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat it with olive oil.
Add the ground beef. 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.
2 pounds ground beef
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.
1 teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 4 ounces cream cheese
Turn the heat off, and mix ½ cup of the shredded cheddar into the beef mixture, reserving the remaining cheese for the next step.
1 cup cheddar
Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheddar on top.
Bake the casserole for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley and serve.
2 tablespoons parsley

Seasonings, especially salt, are guidelines. Adjust to taste.
When calculating the nutrition, the fact that we drain the fat is taken into account. As always, the nutrition info is approximate.
When browning the ground beef, it's OK if it's a bit pink. It will finish cooking in the oven. Leaving it slightly pink during the first stage of cooking will help it stay juicy.
I don't include chopped onions in this recipe because it's delicious with onion powder, and it's much easier not to chop an onion. But you can add a medium chopped onion when browning the ground beef.
You can add 1-2 cups of veggies when browning the ground beef, such as chopped kale, bell pepper strips, small broccoli or cauliflower florets, or chopped celery.
Sometimes, I mix a tablespoon of hot sauce (like Sriracha) into the beef mixture.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. Once cooled, you can also freeze individual servings. They can be frozen for up to three months and reheated in the microwave.