Ground beef browns in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, then minced onion and finely chopped mushrooms go in, followed by cream cheese, heavy cream, beef broth, tomato paste, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. A bag of frozen cauliflower rice gets stirred into that creamy sauce and cooks until the liquid is gone. Shredded cheddar goes on top and browns under the broiler for about a minute. It comes out cheesy and rich with a little heat from the pepper flakes, and it makes 6 servings.
Make this recipe for nights when you need to quickly get dinner on the table.
It’s a good one for beginner cooks, too, since the cauliflower rice steams in the microwave while the beef browns.
It’s filling, with about 23 grams of protein per serving, and leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made in just one pan.
- Can be prepared and served in only 30 minutes.
- Straightforward ingredients that are relatively affordable and widely available.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this ground beef skillet recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Then, add ground beef and cook until no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Steam Cauliflower Rice: While the beef browns, steam the frozen cauliflower rice in the microwave according to the package instructions.
- Add Onions and Mushrooms to Skillet: Stir the onion and mushrooms into the meat and sauté for 1 minute.
- Stir in Other Ingredients with Ground Beef and Veggies: Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Then, reduce stovetop heat to medium, add in beef broth, heavy cream, tomato paste, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and stir. Add in steamed cauliflower rice, stir, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Taste test and add additional seasoning, based on your taste preferences.
- Add Shredded Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and cook until cheese is slightly melted. After, turn on the oven broiler and broil until the cheese is golden brown, which should take about 1 minute.
- Serve: Remove skillet from oven, garnish with parsley, then serve.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Avocado Oil: Use olive oil or any other neutral-flavored cooking oil.
- Ground Beef: Any other ground protein can be used here. You can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
- White Button Mushrooms: Use cremini mushrooms or any other variety of mushrooms that you prefer.
- Frozen Cauliflower Rice: If you can’t find frozen cauliflower rice, you can make your own by pulsing fresh cauliflower florets in a food processor. Note that you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly, as fresh cauliflower takes a bit longer to cook.
- Beef Broth: Substitute with vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Replace with half-and-half, but just note the resulting dish won’t be as creamy.
- Tomato Paste: If you don’t have tomato paste, use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, but you will need to increase the cooking time slightly to reduce the liquid.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Use any shredded cheese like mozzarella, Colby Jack, or Swiss.
✨ Variations
- Vegetarian: Substitute the ground beef with plant-based ground meat or extra mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
- Tex-Mex: Add a Tex-Mex flavor by incorporating spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Add in chopped bell peppers when adding in the mushrooms and onions. Add some corn when adding in the cauliflower rice. Top the skillet with diced tomatoes, avocado slices, sour cream, and salsa.
- Italian-Inspired: Add Italian seasoning, dried basil, and diced tomatoes. Top the skillet with fresh basil and, instead of shredded cheddar cheese on top, use grated Parmesan cheese.
〰️ How to serve
- Vegetables – Serve with cucumber onion salad or Parmesan roasted radishes.
- Bread – Pair with crusty bread or garlic bread.
💬 FAQs
How should leftovers of this ground beef skillet recipe be stored?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I meal prep this recipe?
Yes, you can meal prep this recipe in advance, store it in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a skillet or microwave until warmed throughout before serving.
Can I freeze this dish?
Yes, you can freeze this recipe in an airtight container, but the texture of the cauliflower rice will likely change upon thawing. Because of that, I recommend eating this fresh or as refrigerated leftovers.
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Creamy Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ medium-sized white onion, minced
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 bag (10 ounces) frozen cauliflower rice
- 4 ounces (½ brick) cream cheese
- ½ cup beef broth
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Garnish:
- Chopped fresh parsley or dried parsley
Instructions
- Cook Ground Beef: In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Then, add ground beef and cook until no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking up meat as it cooks.
- Steam Cauliflower Rice: While beef browns, steam frozen cauliflower rice in microwave according to package instructions.
- Add Onions and Mushrooms to Skillet: Stir onion and mushrooms into the skillet of ground beef and sauté for 1 minute.
- Stir in Other Ingredients with Ground Beef and Veggies: Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Then, reduce stovetop heat to medium, add in beef broth, heavy cream, tomato paste, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and stir. Add in steamed cauliflower rice, stir, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Taste test and add additional seasoning, based on your taste preferences.
- Add Shredded Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and cook until cheese is slightly melted. After, turn on oven broiler and broil until cheese is golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Serve: Remove skillet from oven, garnish with parsley, then serve.
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