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Home Recipes Cheesy Beef Casserole With Cauliflower Rice And Spinach

Cheesy Beef Casserole With Cauliflower Rice And Spinach

Net Carbs:3.3g
Published:03/02/23Updated:03/03/23
9 Comments This post contains affiliate links.
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This Cheesy Beef Casserole With Cauliflower Rice And Spinach is a perfect choice for weeknight dinners and is made in only 30 minutes! Featuring ingredients like ground beef, cauliflower rice, spinach, and cheddar cheese, this casserole is both filling and full of flavor.

Cheesy beef casserole with cauliflower rice and spinach in a white ceramic baking dish.

This ground beef casserole rice is always a hit in our house.

It is high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and delicious the next day as leftovers.

You’ll love it!

(And, if you’re looking for other casserole recipes, try this Philly Cheesesteak Casserole, Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole, or Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole.)

Cheesy beef casserole in a baking dish with a wooden serving spoon atop a marble countertop.

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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make cheesy beef casserole
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
✨ Variations
〰️ How to serve
➜ Cooking and recipe tips
💬 FAQs
📚 More casserole recipes
🍽 Recipe

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Can be made and served in 30 minutes.
  • High in protein and low in carbs.
  • Get in some veggies with the addition of spinach and cauliflower rice.
  • Requires only straightforward ingredients that are typically easy to access at your local store.

➡️ Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for the beef casserole recipe.

⏲ How to make cheesy beef casserole

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 Cauliflower Rice: Cook the frozen cauliflower rice in the microwave, according to the package instructions.
  • Cook Beef: While the cauliflower rice cooks, in a large hot and oiled skillet, cook some onions until fragrant. Add in ground beef and cook, breaking the meat up as it cooks. Once the beef is mostly cooked through, stir in spices. You do not need to drain the beef.
  • Add In And Wilt Spinach: Reduce the stovetop heat then, in small batches to the pan of cooked beef, add in some spinach and cook until that has wilted, stirring occasionally.
  • Prepare Casserole: To a baking dish, add the steamed cauliflower rice and some sour cream and stir together. Add in the spinach and beef mixture, stir again, and then flatten all of that into an even layer. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of the dish.
  • Bake Casserole: Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake at 475 degrees F until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
  • Serve: Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
The step-by-step process of how to make Cheesy Beef Casserole With Cauliflower Rice And Spinach.
The step-by-step process of how to make Cheesy Beef Casserole With Cauliflower Rice And Spinach.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

  • Frozen Steamable Cauliflower Rice: Fresh cauliflower rice would be your best option here. Make this by pulsing raw cauliflower florets in a food processor until riced. You can also use steamed cauliflower florets that have been cut up into small pieces.
  • Ground Beef: Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground sausage in place of ground beef.
  • Sour Cream: Greek yogurt works well here; sub in at a 1:1 ratio.

✨ Variations

  • Sprinkle in other seasonings, based on your taste preferences, like chili powder, cumin, and/or dried oregano.
  • Stir in 1-2 Tablespoon(s) of tomato paste or ¼ cup of tomato sauce to the ground beef mixture while the meat cooks.
  • Add a handful of chopped tomatoes when adding in the spinach.

〰️ How to serve

  • Serve alongside this cucumber salad with sour cream or roasted vegetables.
  • Plate with a piece of crusty baguette.

➜ Cooking and recipe tips

  • Measure out and prep all of the ingredients you’ll need for the recipe before you start cooking. This recipe comes together quickly, and you’ll want to be sure you have everything set out so you can grab and add it in when the dish is ready for it.
  • You can cook this dish in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t want to use a casserole dish, that’s totally fine! I’ve successfully made this recipe in my large cast iron skillet, and it worked really well. Instead of transferring the beef mixture to a casserole dish, add everything to your cast iron and stir well. Then, top the skillet with your shredded cheese, transfer it to the oven, and bake as instructed.

💬 FAQs

How should this ground beef casserole recipe be stored in the fridge?

Store the cooked casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Can the casserole be frozen after being cooked?

Yes, let the casserole cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

How should I reheat leftovers?

Microwave a piece of the casserole until warmed throughout, about 30-60 seconds, depending on the wattage of your microwave. Or reheat in the oven in a casserole dish at 450 degrees until warmed throughout.

📚 More casserole recipes

  • Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
  • Sausage Breakfast Casserole
  • Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
  • Bacon Green Bean Casserole

🍽 Recipe

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Cheesy beef casserole with cauliflower rice and spinach in a white ceramic baking dish.

Cheesy Beef Casserole With Cauliflower Rice And Spinach


★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Sara Nelson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This Cheesy Beef Casserole With Cauliflower Rice And Spinach is a perfect choice for weeknight dinners and is made in only 30 minutes! Featuring ingredients like ground beef, cauliflower rice, spinach, and cheddar cheese, this casserole is both filling and full of flavor.


Ingredients

  • 10 ounces frozen steamable cauliflower rice (I use Green Giant)
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 milliliters) avocado oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 8 ounces (~8 cups) fresh spinach
  • 1 cup (240 grams) sour cream
  • 1 1/3 cups (112 grams) finely shredded cheddar cheese


Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
  2. Cook Cauliflower Rice: Cook frozen cauliflower rice in microwave, according to package instructions.
  3. Cook Beef: While cauliflower rice cooks, in a large pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Once hot, add onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up as it cooks. Once beef is mostly cooked through, stir in garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
  4. Add In And Wilt Spinach: Reduce stovetop heat to medium. In small batches to pan of cooked beef, add in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
  5. Prepare Casserole: To a 9×13-inch casserole dish, add in steamed cauliflower rice and sour cream and stir together until well combined. Add cooked beef and spinach mixture, stir again, then flatten into an even layer. Top dish with shredded cheddar.
  6. Bake Casserole: Transfer casserole dish to oven and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, about 13 minutes.
  7. Serve: Remove dish from oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes:

Refrigerator Storage: Store the cooked casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezer Storage: Let the casserole cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheating Instructions: Microwave a piece of the casserole until warmed throughout, about 30-60 seconds, depending on the wattage of your microwave. Or reheat in the oven in a casserole dish at 450 degrees until warmed throughout.

Keywords: cheesy beef casserole, ground beef with cauliflower rice casserole, ground beef with sour cream casserole

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9 Comments

  1. Ann says

    March 7, 2023 at 5:29 pm

    Loved it!! I only wished I had doubled the recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Nancy says

    March 7, 2023 at 12:55 pm

    Can frozen spinach be used?

    Reply
    • Sara Nelson says

      March 7, 2023 at 1:42 pm

      Yes! Make sure to thaw it first and then squeeze it out to remove any excess water. Then you can add it to the pan with the browned ground beef to warm before transferring to your casserole dish.

      Reply
  3. Sarita says

    March 4, 2023 at 9:52 am

    Yes! Finally a recipe with spinach that my kids will eat. They actually LOVED this!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Traci says

    March 4, 2023 at 8:01 am

    Delicious and wonderful recipe! The cauliflower taste did not overpower the recipe and tasted amazing! Loved all the flavors the family enjoyed it will make it again soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Jenn says

    March 4, 2023 at 6:38 am

    Now this is a casserole! So much flavor. We loved every bite!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Sharina says

    March 3, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    One of the best casserole recipes I’ve tried! So filling and incredibly delicious.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Gina says

    March 3, 2023 at 1:03 pm

    Delicious and love the lower carb version with cauliflower rice. Easy too!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Becky says

    February 23, 2023 at 5:09 pm

    Very easy to make and was very tasty. I will be making this again.

    Reply

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