If you are looking for a low carb ground beef recipe, this keto cheeseburger casserole recipe is delicious comfort food. Make a big pan and freeze individual servings for a quick low carb lunch. This low carb casserole is a great dinner idea and has only 1.9 grams net carbs per serving. The whole family will love it.
For more ground beef recipes see this 27 keto ground beef recipes post.
This is one of my favorite keto casserole recipes and is one of my most popular keto recipes on the blog. It’s also one that I make often to eat whenever I want some low carb comfort food. I realized I haven’t updated it in a long time and today I am. Please scroll down to read all the comments for more tips!
As you may have guess, cheeseburger is one of my favorite flavors. I’ve made a cheeseburger flavored frittata, salad, waffle, portobello. And today I am sharing with you this keto cheeseburger casserole recipe because I love casserole meals too!
The savory flavors of the hamburger along with the other ingredients create some delicious creamy, cheesy, comfort food at it’s best but without the carbs.
I usually make a big pan and freeze a few servings for a quick low carb lunch. It has been a life saver this week as I was very busy. It’s a tasty inexpensive ground beef casserole even if you aren’t a low carb diet and one of my favorite low carb meals.
Recipe ingredients I used and substitutes.
All you need to make this tasty keto dinner is a few simple ingredients – ground beef, cauliflower, steak seasoning, grated cheddar cheese, cream cheese, butter, heavy cream and eggs.
Ground Beef
I like to use leaner ground beef in this recipe because it’s quite rich. I usually use about 90% fat hamburger. You can use fattier meat but you might want to drain it a bit after your brown it.
Steak Seasoning
This really give the meat more of a hamburger or steak flavor and it has flavorful ingredients like onion, garlic, paprika, etc. If you don’t have any you can liberally season with salt and ground black pepper. But use it if you can.
Fresh Cauliflower
I like to use fresh raw cauliflower florets that I chop into bite sized pieces. I don’t like to use frozen cauliflower but if you do please make sure to get out as much liquid as you can before adding to the casserole. You can also use cauliflower rice but I usually do not.
Cheeses
I use the cream cheese and heavy whipping cream to make this really creamy and as a bit of a sauce. The sharp grated cheddar cheese is for the cheesiness and flavor. You can try other cheeses if you prefer like Monterey Jack, mozzarella cheese or Colby Jack cheese if you want but I would mix it with the cheddar.
Low carb cooking tips for this casserole.
I wanted to point out a couple of cooking tips that I used in this keto recipe that you can use to create other low carb weeknight casseroles. Just use different spices and sauces to change it up.
- When I browned the ground beef, I sprinkled some steak seasoning on top. This is what makes ground beef taste like a hamburger to me. If you don’t have any you can try to make your own steak seasoning with spices like salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, etc. Some people like to use unsweetened ketchup or yellow mustard but I feel like the seasoning is much better.
- I added bits of cauliflower in with the meat to make this casserole go further. It has a neutral taste and is some what like pasta or a potato and was a yummy addition. I chopped it up but you could use frozen or fresh cauliflower rice instead of bite sized pieces. If it’s frozen just drain the water first.
- You can also add extra veggies if you want like spinach, broccoli, bell pepper etc. Make sure to use keto friendly veggies though.
- You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken as an alternative to ground beef if you want though they might be a bit dry. You can also try Italian hot sausage for a different flavor and some heat.
How to make keto cheeseburger casserole.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a baking or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Chop cauliflower into florets or bite size pieces. Steam cauliflower in the microwave by placing the raw cauliflower pieces in a microwave safe bowl with a little bit of water. Cook for 5 minutes then make sure to drain the water before adding to the casserole.
Step 3: Meanwhile get out a large skillet and heat to medium high heat. Add the ground meat and sprinkle some steak seasoning over it. Use a wooden spoon to breakup the hamburger.
\When the meat has browned a little, turn the heat down to medium heat. Then add in the cooked cauliflower pieces, cream cheese and part of the cheddar cheese to the seasoned ground beef.
Step 4: Mix it around for 1-2 minutes until the cream cheese melts and then spoon the ground beef mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Step 5: Next whisk eggs, heavy cream and butter and pour the egg mixture over casserole. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown on top. You can also place it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown it more.
Serve this with a nice green salad for a complete meal and that’s it! Store left overs in an airtight container. (Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card with instructions.)
And if you want to make this more of a bacon cheeseburger casserole add some bacon bits on top!
Baking dish size and number of servings.
The first time I made this in a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish size and got 8 servings from this casserole but I ate two pieces. It was really good to me. But with only 1.2g net carbs per serving I don’t think it’s bad to have 2 pieces. 🙂
This time I made it in a 10 x 8 inch baking dish and got 6 servings. So one serving comes to 1.9g net carbs. Either size of pan that you use the carbs are pretty low for this comfort food dish!
More keto ground beef recipes to try.
I love using inexpensive ground beef or hamburger in keto recipes because it adds so much flavor and it’s low carb. Subsequently I have quite a few ground beef keto recipes.
Some of my most popular posts are this cheesesteak ground beef skillets and this ground beef and broccoli post. They are also some of my personal favorite recipes.
And if you like this dish you might also like this similar ground beef casserole with Italian flavors that uses tomato sauce and Italian seasonings. It’s delicious too!
TIP: My tip for using ground beef in low carb recipes is to aim for high fat content when making something like burgers or even meatballs but use lean ground beef when making casseroles or soups.
More recipe tips and notes.
- Since this is a rich and creamy casserole, you might want to use a lean beef. If it’s too fatty it will shrink down and leave a lot of excess grease.
- I use fresh cauliflower and chop it up. If you want you could also use fresh cauliflower rice. But I prefer fresh cauliflower to frozen cauliflower rice or florets as that usually has a lot of excess water.
- Casseroles like this make a great meal prep recipe for a keto diet. I like to freeze portions of these types of casseroles in glass storage containers like this if possible. When you microwave dishes with a lots of cheese and fat, the plastic seems to get all funky so the glass is better.
- The carb count for this recipe will depend on how my servings you get out of it. I used this 8×10″ baking dish and got 6 servings at 1.9g net carbs.
Well I hope you like this keto cheeseburger casserole as much as I did. I find that preparing low carb casseroles like this and then freezing individual servings can really help you stay on a low carb diet. Or freeze big portions for a keto dinner on busy weeknights.
It’s filling and savory and perfect when you don’t have the time to make lunch or dinner. This delicious meal is also a very family friendly keto casserole recipe that even picky eaters will love.
The nutrition for 1 serving of this delicious casserole is: 421 calories / 30.2g fat / 2.6g carbs / 0.7g fiber / 25.1g protein = 1.9g net carbs.
Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
This low carb cheeseburger casserole is a delicious and hearty casserole recipe that is pure keto comfort food and great for burger cravings. Freeze individual servings for a quick low carb lunch. Only 1.9g net carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups cauliflower, chopped (about ½ head cauliflower)
- 2 teaspoon steak seasoning
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. I used an 8x10" dish.
- Chop cauliflower into bite size pieces and then place the raw cauliflower pieces in a microwave safe bowl with a little bit of water. Cook for 5 minutes then make sure to drain the water before adding to the casserole.
- In the meantime get out a large nonstick skillet and heat to medium high heat. No need to add olive oil as the meat will have enough grease to brown it. Add the ground beef and sprinkle steak seasoning on top. Use a wooden spoon and breakup the hamburger while you brown it.
- Once the meat has browned a little turn down the heat to medium heat. Add in cauliflower, cream cheese and ¼ cup of cheddar cheese. Mix well to combine and then pour or spoon into the prepared baking dish.
- In a bowl, beat eggs then whisk in heavy cream and melted butter. Make sure the butter cools a bit before doing this.
- Pour over beef mixture and top with remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly on top. You can also place it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown it more.
Notes
The nutrition info for 1 serving is: 421 calories / 30.2g fat / 2.6g carbs / 0.7g fiber / 25.1g protein = 1.9g net carbs
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 421Net Carbohydrates: 1.9g
For another ground beef casserole try my friend Kasey’s keto taco casserole or my friend Alika’s keto shepherd’s pie.
Laura Fremeau says
Hello!
Can you use Frozen cauliflower in this recipe?
Denise says
H Laura, yes you can but just make sure to drain all the water out of it after you cook it in the microwave. Hope you like it!
Naomi D Matthews-Fisher says
I can’t express how much I love this dish! So comforting. It tastes like cheesy potatoes and beef to me. I also add mushrooms and onions if I have them. I have mixed Italian turkey sausage and ground beef when I had leftover sausage. I even made it with broth instead of half and half because I was out, and it was still so good!! Looking forward to trying more casseroles like these for the fall and winter months! Thank you for a great recipe!
Denise says
Hi Naomi, I’m so glad you liked it and thanks for sharing your tips!
Brenda says
This will now become a staple in our house. So very yummy!
Denise says
Brendea, so glad you like it! This freezes well and I often save portions for a quick lunch.
K. Oliver says
This was greatness! A fantastic meal for a high school football player. I added a 1/2 bag of spinach and used Fiesta Brand Uncle Chris’ Gourmet Steak Seasoning for the ground meat. Green Giant made it easy with their precut raw Cauiliflower Crumbles Fried Rice d too.
Thank you for this soon to become staple recipe.
Denise says
So glad you liked it K!
Kirsten says
Mine is cooking as I type. I saw the ingredients, but I couldn’t find how much of each is required. I guessed. Did I miss the ingredient list somewhere?
Denise says
Hi Kristen, The ingredients are down in the recipe card at the bottom of the recipe. Here is a link to just the recipe card if you want. I hope you liked it!
https://mylifecookbook.com/wp-json/mv-create/v1/creations/100/print
Chrisitne says
This is now a staple In our household too. I’ve probably made it a dozen times already. It’s fairly quick and easy and I use ground pork instead of ground beef. I might try adding some spinach next time as the other reviewer did. It really doesn’t taste like cauliflower in my opinion, it’s just like a comforting cheesy beef bake.
Denise says
Hi Christine, So glad you like it. I need to make this again and try it with the spinach and or sausage too! I want to make a batch and freeze portions for the new year. Thanks for coming back to comment!
Jere Cassidy says
Yum! I don’t do low carb but this recipe caught my eye since it is made with cauliflower. I am always on the lookout for recipes like this.
Denise says
Hope you like it Jere. It’s simple but yummy!
Sharon says
This is a delicious and cheesy casserole that won’t weigh you down with carbs. I like that you can freeze this too.
Denise says
Thanks Sharon. This is one of my favorite casseroles because it’s so comforting. I keep portions of it in the freezer all the time. Thanks for commenting!
Melody says
Made this tonight. I used frozen riced cauliflower and 85/15 ground beef because it’s what I had. Added some diced poblano too for a little more flavor. I used smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, pink Himalayan salt and some Buffalo seasoning in the meat mixture. Otherwise I followed as written. Delicious! I’ll be making a lot of this for easy meals.
Also, I use Carb Manager and my calculation was almost exactly the same as yours. Great low carb meal! I can’t wait to play around with it. Thanks so much!
Denise says
So glad you liked it Melody. Thanks for coming back to comment and share your tips!
Brett says
I added onion, garlic, and mushrooms towards the end of browning the meat and used Cajun seasoning instead of steak seasoning
Denise says
Hi Brett, thanks for coming back and sharing your tips! That sounds really good!
Guy Cesario says
Great recipe. I added half an onion and one jalapeño to kick it up a bit.
Denise says
Hi Guy, I love the idea of the jalapeno! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
cindy says
Made this last night. Added celery and onion (because I can’t make a casserole without those two). I wanted to double the recipe, but did not have enough cream cheese, so I used 4 oz cream cheese and 4 oz. goat cheese – OMG – my husbands new favorite recipe for sure! Also added garlic powder, black pepper and some kosher salt. So, so delicious. Thank you!
Denise says
So glad you liked it Cindy and that you made it your own. It’s a simple idea but like you did, you can change it up to suit your tastes. Thanks for coming back to comment!
Brittany says
Denise, this recipe is out of this world! Thank you!!!
Denise says
So glad you like it Brittany!!!
Bruce says
We love this recipe we added some garlic herb seasoning and topped it with salsa to improve it and it really was a great addition.
Denise says
Hi Bruce, thanks for coming back to comment and share your tips with everyone!
Elyse says
Wow! I made this tonight for my significant other who loves cauliflower but dislikes melted cheese (don’t ask me, I love cheese). Without realizing it I doubled the cauliflower- I basically used an entire head without measuring. Upon mixing, I threw in another egg and some half and half (i had ran out of heavy creamer). I used onion while browning the ground beef and Montreal steak seasoning. My picky boyfriend loved it! This was great
Denise says
Hi Elyse, so glad he liked it! Thanks for coming back to comment and share your tips. It’s a really simple recipe and you can change it around alot. I made an Italian version too if you are interest. Keto Ground Beef Casserole
Connie says
Can you mix this in the morning and refrigerate until ready to bake for dinner later? Or does it get mushy if you do that?
Denise says
Hi Connie, I have never done it but I don’t see why not. It should be fine. Let me know how it went if you get a chance and I hope you like it!
Connie says
It WORKS! It was so good hubby said I need to make it more often!! 😁
Denise says
Hi Connie,
So glad he liked it!
Patti M. says
In the oven now! Smells great! I think I’ll have a few pickles with it:) Keep up the low carb recipes!!
Denise says
Hi Patti, hope you enjoy it!!
Rachelle Parker says
can you use frozen cauliflower?
Denise says
Hi Rachelle, yes you can use frozen but you should thaw it out first. It might make it a bit watery too, so when you thaw it try to take out any excess water before adding it to the rest of the dish. Good luck!
Sarah says
I used frozen cauliflower and microwaved for 5 minutes, you just cook it with the meat a little longer. I also added green pepper and cherry tomatoes when browning the meat…10/10 this was absolutely delicious!!
Denise says
So glad you like it! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Helen Fischer says
This is seriously delicious! So glad I gave it a try! I made a double batch and will be saving some in the freezer. I am so impressed! Thank you so much and have a happy new year!
Denise says
Hi Helen, so glad you liked it! This made my day. I love this casserole too and I also freeze it for quick lunches. Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment and Happy New Year!
Barb Johnson says
Made this today and it is fantastic, hubby loves it also. Ingredients I used are the same only method a little different. I beat together cream cheese, cream, eggs and melted butter then mixed it into the hamburger, cauliflower and cheddar cheese mixture.
Denise says
Hi Barb, so glad you liked it. Thanhs for coming back to share your tips. It’s such a simple recipe and I imagine you can make it several ways and adapt it anyway you like.
AVE says
Really good. I substituted greek yogurt and swiss Lorraine cheese , skipping the butter and milk, and it still came out great.