Ground Beef Casserole (Keto Friendly)

This creamy Keto Ground Beef Casserole is a homestyle dish made with ground beef, garlic powder, Italian herbs, mustard, tomato paste, cream, eggs, and cheese. This dish is ready to eat in just under one hour and serves four to six people. It’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or to bring to a dinner party.

What is Creamy Ground Beef Casserole? 

This homemade keto ground beef casserole is way better than any hamburger helper dish you could ever make. Making this from scratch is easy, affordable, and so much more delicious than a boxed meal. Not to mention there are no preservatives or additives. This is hands down the best way to make hamburger casserole. 

If you want another easy keto recipe, then check out the keto taco casserole! You might also like this list of low-carb vegetarian meal ideas to add to your meal plan.

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound (500 g) ground beef: Use 90% lean ground beef in this recipe. 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder: Garlic powder adds a little extra flavor to this dish. 
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs: You can buy a bottle of dried Italian herbs in the baking aisle with the other spices. 
• 1 tablespoon mustard: The tanginess of the mustard offsets the richer flavors. 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste: You can freeze any leftover tomato paste in a plastic container or bag. 
• ½  cup cream: Heavy whipping cream can be found by the half-and-half and milk in the dairy section of the grocery store.  
• 3 eggs: Use fresh eggs for the best flavor.  
• 1 cup shredded cheese: You can buy pre-shredded cheese or a block to shred yourself. 
• salt and pepper: A little seasoning will enhance the other flavors of the dish.  

How to make keto ground beef casserole: 

Video Recipe:

Here’s a brief overview of how to make this dish. See the recipe card below for the specific recipe instructions. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.

2. Cook beef with some olive oil, adding salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs. Cook for 10 minutes, breaking the meat up with a fork.

3. Season with tomato paste and mustard, and then mix until incorporated.

4. While the meat cooks, you will whisk the eggs with salt, pepper, and cream. Feel free to add additional herbs and spices if desired during this step.

5. Transfer the meat into a prepared baking dish, and then pour the egg mixture over the top. Now, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the casserole.

6. Bake this for 30-minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted and golden on top.

Printable Recipe:

Tips for success: 

Here are a few tips for success and variations you can try to make this the best creamy ground beef casserole you've ever had.

• If you’re looking to change up the flavor profile, add enchilada sauce and chili powder for a Mexican twist.  
• To make this dish even creamier pour in some cream of mushroom soup, a jar of bechamel sauce, or alfredo sauce - just be careful when doing this as some of these have carbohydrates. If sticking with a low-carb diet, you may want to make your own or purchase keto-friendly options.
• Add cooked noodles or rice to the casserole right before baking to make this dish even more filling.   Again, this isn't a keto option, but can be adjusted with lower-carb options to keep it a truly keto ground beef casserole. Carbanada is a great pasta brand to consider.

How can I make ground beef casserole in a crockpot?  

It’s easy to slowly simmer this dish in a slow cooker rather than bake it in the oven. It will cook all day while you get other things done. Start by cooking the beef, seasonings, herbs, tomato paste, and mustard in a pan on the stove. Pour the whisked eggs, cream, and cheese into the bowl of the crockpot and stir in the cooked beef. Cover and cook on low for eight hours.  

What else can I top this dish with?  

The creamy keto ground beef casserole is topped with cheese, however, you can substitute crushed tortilla chips, Doritos, tater tots, fried onion strings, or even mashed potatoes. Of course, remember to keep this keto-friendly, you will need to consider your toppings carefully. Think of opposing textures when deciding what to put on top of your casserole.  

And when serving as a keto meal, you can serve it with any of your favorite keto-friendly hamburger toppings. Sliced onions, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and even avocado slices work great with this particular casserole.

What other ingredients can I add to beef casserole?   

This keto ground beef casserole recipe is delicious as it is, but you can also add other ingredients to stretch it a bit further and make it a little bit hardier.

For keto, you would want to avoid the starchy options but could use cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, or even green beans. If you don't have to watch the carbohydrates, this is great with hash browns, rice, sliced potatoes, or even mashed potatoes.

How to store creamy ground beef casserole:

Store any leftover keto ground beef casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat it in the microwave with 30-second increments until it’s hot all the way through. 

To freeze the entire casserole, wrap it in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Label it with what it is, how to cook it, and the date. Labeling will help you remember later. Remember that if you cook it from frozen, it will take longer to cook in the oven without thawing first. Keep the foil on until the last 30 minutes of cooking so the top can brown.

FAQs:  

More Ground Beef Casseroles

While this is a keto-friendly meal, you may also want to just use some extra ground beef. Below are some of our favorites that are packed with flavor. Adjust as needed to your dietary needs and bookmark them, print out the recipes, or pin them to Pinterest to make soon!

• Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
• Ground Beef Cabbage Rolls Casserole
• Beef Enchilada Casserole
• Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
• Beef Tamale Casserole
• Sloppy Joe Casserole
• Cattle Drive Casserole