Ground Beef and Cauliflower Rice Casserole is packed with fresh spinach, beef, and cheese, then combined with cauliflower rice and baked. A low carb and Keto meal the whole family will love.
An Easy Low Carb Casserole That’s Super Satisfying
Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole is one easy, delicious, and absolutely satisfying dinner idea! Casseroles make everyone’s lives easier and this one is a true lifesaver. It requires minimal prep and then you pop it in the oven and forget about it for the next 25-ish minutes. It’s even low Carb and Keto, too. 👍
Thinking about casseroles really brings me back to my childhood. It’s like casseroles speak family dinner, don’t they? Now that I’m a mom, I get it. They are super easy and a complete meal in one dish!
This one is especially great for meal prepping and as a freezer meal. You’re going to love its hearty flavor and ooey gooey cheesy goodness!
Casserole Ingredients
The ingredients in this casserole are super basic. It’s full of yummy goodness you’re sure to have in your fridge on any given day.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- lean ground beef
- Italian Seasoning
- sweet paprika
- Salt and pepper
- spinach
- cauliflower rice
- sour cream
- Butter
- dried basil
- shredded cheese
How to Make Cauliflower Casserole
1. Preheat: Set your oven to preheat to 375˚F.
2. Saute: Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add your onions and cook them for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
3. Brown: Add the ground beef and season it with Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Continue to cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until beef is completely browned.
4. Add: Add in the spinach. You might have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Stir frequently for 1 more minute or until the spinach is wilted. Remove the skillet from the heat, drain liquid from the skillet, and set it aside.
5. Combine: In a baking dish, combine cooked cauliflower rice, sour cream, butter, and dried basil. Stir and mix until everything is completely combined and creamy.
Add the prepared beef mixture to the baking dish and stir until everything is completely incorporated.
Then, top it all with shredded cheese.
6. Bake: Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the juices are bubbly and cheese is melted.
7. Serve: Remove the dish from the oven and let stand for several minutes before cutting and serving.
Tips for the Best Cauliflower Casserole
Follow these simple tips to make your cheesy ground beef and cauliflower rice casserole even better!
- Be sure you let your casserole stand for at least 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the casserole to firm up and will make it even prettier and more yummy on your plate. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait.
- Resist the urge to cover this casserole with foil before baking. I know, that’s like casserole blasphemy, but since everything is already cooked and warm, it’s really not necessary. Baking it uncovered will allow the cheese to get bubbly and melty, which I really like!
- More veggies? No problem. If you want to add more veggies to this casserole, you could throw in some diced and sauteed carrots, or some frozen peas or corn.
- Meat options. You can opt to use ground turkey, ground pork, or sweet Italian sausage in place of the ground beef, if you prefer.
Can This Recipe Be Made Vegetarian?
- Absolutely! This casserole can definitely be modified to be vegetarian. My favorite way to do that is by using mushrooms in place of the ground beef. Mushrooms have a hearty meat like flavor and I bet you won’t even miss the meat!
- Another option is to make a lentil based ground meat substitute. This is pretty commonly done as a taco meat substitute and could work easily here as well.
Can I Make Cauliflower Casserole in Advance?
So much yes! This, or any, casserole, makes for a great as a freezer meal.
I love to make it for my new mom friends or where a parent has just undergone a surgery. This is also a great freezer meal idea for meal prep and making weeknight dinners just a little easier for YOU.
This casserole will be fine in their freezer for about 3 months. All you have to do is defrost it and heat it in the oven when you are ready for it.
Want to make it ahead but not freeze it? Sometimes I will prep this casserole in the morning or the night before we are going to eat it. I’ll tightly cover it and let it hang out in my refrigerator until dinner time, then I simply pop it in the oven and it’s ready in 20-25 minutes.
The joy of casseroles! Can I get a heck ya?! 🙌
How to Store Leftovers
- Once the casserole is baked, your leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for about 3-5 days.
- You can also freeze your leftovers. Let the casserole cool completely first. Then, place the leftovers in an airtight, freezer safe container for about 3 months.
How to Reheat Cauliflower Casserole
- Reheating your cheesy ground beef and cauliflower rice casserole is simple! All you have to do is bring it to room temperature, then pop it in your 375˚F oven and bake it until it is heated through. Then, serve it up and watch your family enjoy!
- If you are not reheating an entire casserole, just scoop what you want to eat into a bowl and microwave until heated through. I usually pause halfway through the microwaving time to stir the contents of my bowl.
More Casseroles
ENJOY!
Tools Used in this Recipe
Cheesy Ground Beef and Cauliflower Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen cauliflower rice, cooked according to the directions on the package
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, if needed*
- 8 ounces shredded Italian blend cheese, or any other shredded cheese that you have/prefer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Heat olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- Add ground beef; season with Italian Seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Continue to cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, and cook until beef is completely browned.
- Add in spinach - you might have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet - cook, stirring frequently, for 1 more minute or until spinach is wilted.
- Remove from heat, drain liquid from the skillet, and set aside.
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish combine cooked cauliflower rice, sour cream, butter, and dried basil; stir and mix until completely combined and creamy. If sour cream and butter aren’t melting completely, stir in some milk. (The cauliflower rice should be warm enough to melt the butter.)
- Add prepared beef mixture to the baking dish; stir until everything is completely incorporated.
- Top with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and let stand several minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
NET CARBS: 10 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Can you make this on the stovetop ?
I’m also confused as to whether I should precook the cauliflower rice? I see this has been asked several times with no clarification =(
If you scroll down to the recipe card, under the Ingredients Section, it states, “1 package (10 ounces) frozen cauliflower rice, cooked according to the directions on the package“.
Yes!
This was super good! Hubby, who thinks we eat too much cauliflower and complains about it, actually exclaimed “oh my goodness, this looks DELICIOUS” as he pulled it out of the oven. He says if he’s going to eat cauliflower, this is the way to do it. We both enjoyed it very much!
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Do you happen to know how many cups of fresh riced cauliflower equals a bag?
10 ounces is about 1-1/4 cups.
People keep asking what is a serving, ans you aren’t responding. So I ask, how much is a serving?
Hi!
I have answered this question – the recipe serves 4, as indicated on the recipe card above, thus 1/4 (one out of 4) is a serving. It amounts to around 10 ounces as a main course.
This is a great base! All I added was carrots and extra spinach. Made it for my pregnant diabetic daughter in law. Sounds so good! Thanks
Holy smokes. This is one of the best dishes I have ever made and enjoyed! I added halved cherry tomatoes, some feta crumbles and a light sprinkle of dill on top of the riced cauliflower base before adding the hamburger spinach combo on top. This is a very easy to make and very flavorful meal! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
Do you need to get the liquid out of the cauliflower rice before you mix it?
There shouldn’t be liquid if the cauliflower rice isn’t cooked. In this recipe, you don’t have to precook the cauliflower rice; it will cook up while baking.
To clarify, you don’t cook the cauliflower?? In the list of ingredients it says “cooked according to package instructions” on the cauliflower, as well as in the instructions. Just checking so I don’t get a soupy casserole 🙂
It was super good. I struggle to eat cauliflower rice sometimes but this was pleasantly spiced so we all ate it without complaining (even the 9 yr old). I did use cream cheese instead of sour cream -I didn’t realize I was out until after I started. I’ll make it with sour cream for a little more bite next time. Excellent recipe though! I have a hard time using ground beef while staying keto sometimes. Thanks!
This is a fantastic recipe that I make quite often, I add feta and tomatoes to the mix. It’s a family favourite!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank YOU ! 🙂
Hi, I made this tonight and it is DELICIOUS! But I was wondering is it really only 4 servings? Your picture shows 8 pieces cut up. Just wondering because I want to know how best to enter the macros 🙂 thank you for the yummy recipe regardless!
I did ground Turkey in this instead of beef. And did fat free greek yogurt instead of sour cream. This was AMAZING. So many great things to say. Will make it again.
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can I use cream cheese instead of sour cream??
Can I make my own cauliflower mix. If yes what would the directions be.
Sure! Here’s my recipe for how to make your own cauli rice: https://diethood.com/how-to-make-and-store-cauliflower-rice/
I used a cast-iron skillet to make this recipe, added kale in place of spinach and added broccoli and carrots. I also took this out of the oven at about 20 mins-added panko crumbs on top and then broiled for 2 mins. TURNED OUT FABULOUS! Thank you for the recipe!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
It says to cook the cauliflower rice first, but your comment says no need to because it cooks while baking? Which is it? Thanks
I didn’t see in the recipe when you put and the paprika.
Hi!
It’s in Step #5 in the recipe card, right after the Italian seasoning. You’ll use it to season the ground beef while it cooks.
My boyfriend and I loved this!I used broccoli instead of spinach and mozzarella cheese because that is what I had on hand and it turned out really great!
Family enjoyed the recipe. Didn’t even realize there was cauliflower rice in it. I used lean ground beef and mild Italian sausage with the Italian blend cheese. I also made it in a cast iron skillet. Skillet, to oven, to table. We will have it again. Super yummy!
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Is there anything which can be substituted for sour cream, I don’t have yoghurt in my fridge
Hello..have all ingredients except sour cream.. .(no yogurt or cottage cheese either).. think it would taste fine without sour cream or is there anything else you can suggest to sub.
Hi!
I wouldn’t suggest to make it without sour cream or yogurt because it would be too dry without it. The creaminess in the casserole depends on the sour cream.
Thank you for the advice. I picked up some sour cream at the store and made it as directed tonight. Turned out terrific. Thank you for the recipe.
I would think mayonnaise would work too
can this be made in a slow cooker?
Hi! 👋
I have not tested this recipe in the slow cooker therefore I honestly can’t say how it would turn out, nor can I give you any direction on how to go about it. If you do try it, and if you have a minute, please let me know how it turned out.
Wow. This casserole is INCREDIBLE!!!!! Thank you so much… I have found one of my family’s new go-to meals. So glad it is so low-carb and keto friendly. Just wanted to make sure I have this correct. Does this dish really serve 4? Is that the correct serving size? Because in the picture it shows it cut into 6 pieces, so I’m confused. Thank you so much! 🙂
I was surprised how delicious this was!! Really good comfort food!! I added some parmesan cheese, and just mixed everything together in the skillet before I put it in the casserole dish and topped with the cheese. I think next time, I’m gonna add some mushrooms. This is a great, easy, quick weeknight dinner. Thanks!!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
PS I make my own rice cauliflower a cinch with my Ninja food processor. And fresh cauliflower is so cheap right now in B.C. It freezes really well so am looking for more delicious recipes like this for the winter! Thank you so much.
i used thick Olympic organic kefir instead of sour cream. Substituted LOTS of smoked paprika to give more flavour. And extra spinach as I had some that needed to be used. I also added cooked red quinoa to make it go further but still have enough protein. It was amazing but even so, only 4 good sized helpings.
We’ve made this twice now in a month because we love it so much. I drizzle my favorite mild hot sauce on my serving, but even as is the flavor is delicious!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Will make this for supper tonight!!! Our garden is still producing kale so will use instead of spinach and we also smoke and grind our own jalapeño peppers, so will add some of that as well for a bit of kick! Will take a pic and let you know how it turned out.
I have my own blog and would like to share this recipe. If I link it to yours, will that be okay?
How much is a serving? I’m wanting to make this for my cooking demo (I will certainly let them know who made this) and let them know the details but not sure on the serving size.
It was very bland, my husband said it needed more spices for better taste!
What is a serving size?
I was wondering that too. What is the serving size?
I was not expecting how god this was! Like, lick your plate good!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Yeah girl! I was hopeful it was good… it far exceeded that. Like you said, like lick your plate good!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Hi. This is the first time I tried the frozen riced cauliflower. Is it supposed to have texture, almost crunchy? Or is it supposed to be soft, lika regular rice? Thank you for the recipe, flavor was great!
It’s soft like rice. It can be good with the right spices
Love this recipe my mother in law can’t have ground beef wondering if replacing with chicken would be ok?
Yes, any ground meat will work; pork, turkey, chicken, are all great substitutes.
I see Paprika listed under the ingredients, but did not see it in the instructions? I assume it should be added when cooking the ground beef?
Thank you for catching that! Yes, it should go in with the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 😊 I’ll fix it right away.
OMG! This was delicious! I forgot to add the paprika to the meat mixture and all I have is Smoked Paprika so I sprinkled it on top of the casserole before baking. Mmmm! I used sharp cheddar cheese and fresh basil from my herb garden! I can’t wait to make this again!
Thank you so much, Dianne! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hubby and I really
Enjoyed this! Used a bag of frozen riced cauliflower from Trafer Joe’s. Added Parmesan and mozzarella!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
What is the serving size ?
I was surprised at just how good this turned out. My husband and I both enjoyed it. I made it with ground beef and Italian blend cheese. I think I’ll try Sweet Italian Sausage next time. Thanks for the recipe!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
My family is really not into spinach.. do you think i can leave it out and it would be fine?
Hi!
Yep, you can definitely leave it out.
It’s in the oven right now, can’t wait! However, I did everything according to recipe and the oven dish recommended was just WAY too big for for the amount of food so I put it in the smaller. Hopefully it comes out the same way! I will update later!
Delicious and low carb! I didn’t have basil, so I left it out. Used mozzarella cheese because that’s what I had on hand. Very satisfying, but we didn’t get 6 servings out of it. Might want to serve a couple of side dishes with it to feed 6 people.
Any ideas on substitutions to get the fat grams down? I am not supposed to have over 20 a meal but this just looks so good.
Hi!
See if you can use ground turkey, and also use low-fat sour cream, as well as low-fat cheeses.
Can this be made with fresh cauliflower?
Hi!
Yes, that works, too, but precook it for few minutes, or until just tender.
How would you suggest I pre-cook the fresh riced cauliflower and for how long?
I live in Ontario, Canada and I don’t believe we have access to Trader Joe frozen riced cauliflower
Hi!
So you can just pour the riced cauliflower in a greased skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir frequently.
I use my steamer. I throw the cauliflower in the food processor and pulse it til it looks like rice. Then I steam in my steamer for about 5 minutes
Could this be made with frozen spinach? Think it would work?
Yes, that will work, but the only thing I’d worry about is the amount of water that the spinach might release during cooking. Just drain the water from the beef-spinach mixture before transferring everything over to the baking dish.
What can be used to replace the sour cream? Not a huge fan of sour cream.
Hi!
How about plain yogurt?
Why does it say Net Carbs 0 above the nutritional value box? The box says 13 carbs and 3 fiber which equals 10 net carbs.
I’ve made it 3 times in one month, twice with ground beef and once with Italian sausage. Once with sharp cheddar bacon cheese. So delicious
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I am very happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank YOU! 🙂
Have made this twice now, and we love it!!! To save on dishes, I add the cauliflower, butter, basil, and sour cream right to the ground beef mixture in my (ovenproof) skillet, stir well, top with cheese, and bake right in the skillet. Wonderful! Thank you!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Excellent one-dish meal. Hubby loves it too!
Such a comforting meal! Everyone at my house loved this!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I loved it! Packed full of flavors!
That’s great! I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I love a good casserole! This one looks amazing! You have so much packed in there!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
0 net carbs?? The label says 13 carbs minus fiber of 3 would equal 10 net carbs. But above the label it says 0.
That’s a typo. Thank you for letting me know!
Yum! What a delicious dinner idea! I will make this tonight!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Cauliflower Rice is SO versatile! This casserole will be going into our rotation!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can’t go wrong with a casserole for dinner and this recipe is no exception! Adding this to my dinner line up for the week; looks too good to pass up!
Thank YOU!! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
This looks scrumptious! Definitely will have to give a try.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Just looking at it makes my eyes happy, with your recipe I might be successful in creating this in my kitchen. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
This looks incredible! Can’t wait to make it tonight.
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
This is one of our favorite low carb meals! Flavorful and so good!
Thank you so much, Heather! 🙂
This was easy to make and so tasty!! Thanks for the recipe!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂