If hearty beef dinners are in your regular rotation, also check out this Creamy Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice and this Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole.
Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice and Spinach is the kind of bake where the oven does the most impressive work — 475°F for about 13 minutes turns a pan of seasoned beef, wilted spinach, and sour cream-stirred cauliflower rice into something with genuinely golden, bubbly cheddar on top and a rich, cohesive filling underneath. You can scoop it straight from the dish, and it holds together the way a good casserole should.
It’s also the recipe that consistently turns cauliflower rice skeptics into converts — one reader doubled the batch, swapped in three different cheeses to use up what she had, and reported that the non-believers at her table walked away convinced. One useful thing to know before you start: because the recipe moves on two tracks at once (the cauliflower rice cooks in the microwave while the beef browns on the stovetop), having your ingredients measured and set out in advance means you won’t be scrambling for anything mid-cook.
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Reader Love
I made this dish last night. I doubled the recipe. I used cheddar, mozzarella, and Mexican cheese blend to use up some cheeses I had left over. It was soooo delicious. I had some non believers that don’t like cauliflower rice and it changed their mind. I will be making again.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- 30 minutes, start to finish: The cauliflower rice cooks in the microwave while the beef browns on the stovetop — both happen simultaneously. By the time the beef is seasoned and the spinach is wilted, the cauliflower rice is ready to go into the casserole dish.
- The high heat earns its place: Baking at 475°F for about 13 minutes gives the finely shredded cheddar on top real color — genuinely golden and bubbly, not just softened. That browned cheese layer is what makes every scoop worth it.
- 8 servings from one pan: This recipe fills a full 9×13 casserole dish, which makes it practical for a family dinner, a full week of meal prep, or any time you need enough food to go around. Leftovers reheat well.
- The seasoning does real work: Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes give the beef genuine depth without any extra sauce or complicated steps — all from spice-rack staples you likely already have.
- The spinach disappears the right way: Fresh spinach goes into the pan in batches after the beef is cooked and wilts down completely in about a minute. It’s there in every bite for flavor and color without dominating the texture of the finished dish.
- Cast iron works just as well: No casserole dish? Use a large cast iron skillet instead. Once the spinach is wilted, add everything directly to the skillet, stir to combine, top with cheese, and bake exactly as written — one fewer dish to wash.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this 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 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.
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Frozen steamable cauliflower rice: The best substitute is fresh cauliflower rice, which you can make by pulsing raw cauliflower florets in a food processor until they’re the size of rice grains. You can also use steamed florets cut into small pieces — they’ll be slightly chunkier but hold up in the dish.
- Ground beef: Ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground sausage all work well. If you use sausage, keep in mind it brings its own seasoning, so taste the mixture before adding extra spices.
- Sour cream: Greek yogurt swaps in at a 1:1 ratio and holds up through baking without breaking down.
- Fresh spinach: Frozen spinach works — but thaw it completely first and squeeze out as much liquid as you can before adding it to the pan with the cooked beef to heat through. Skipping the squeeze step will make the casserole watery.
- Shredded cheddar: Any meltable cheese works here. One reader used a combination of cheddar, mozzarella, and a Mexican cheese blend to finish off partial bags, and reported it came together beautifully.
✨ Variations
- Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, or ¼ cup of tomato sauce, into the ground beef as it finishes cooking — it adds a richer, more savory base to the filling without any extra effort.
- Add a handful of chopped fresh tomatoes to the pan when you add the spinach for extra freshness in every scoop.
- Try chili powder, cumin, or dried oregano as additional seasonings if you want a different spice profile — all three work well alongside the Italian seasoning already in the dish.
- Bake in a large cast iron skillet instead of a casserole dish: after wilting the spinach, add all the ingredients directly to the skillet, stir together, top with cheese, and bake exactly as the recipe instructs.
〰️ How to serve
- Scoop alongside a crisp salad — the Creamy Dill Cucumber Onion Salad pairs naturally here since its sour cream dressing echoes the casserole’s base.
- Roasted vegetables or a Fresh Corn Salad add color and a lighter contrast on the side.
- A piece of crusty baguette is useful for getting every last scoop out of the dish.
- With 8 servings from one pan, this also works well for meal prep — the leftovers reheat without drying out, making it a practical choice for the week ahead.
💬 FAQs
How do I store leftovers?
Store the cooked casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The beef and cheese reheat without drying out, and the dish is just as good the next day.
Can I freeze this casserole?
Yes. Let the casserole cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe airtight container. It will keep for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What’s the best way to reheat leftovers?
For a single portion, microwave it until heated through — about 30 to 60 seconds, depending on your microwave’s wattage. For a larger amount, transfer it to a casserole dish and reheat in a 450°F oven until hot throughout. Both methods work well.
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Yes, with one key step: thaw the frozen spinach completely first, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible before adding it to the pan with the cooked beef. Skipping the squeeze will leave excess water in the casserole and make it too wet.
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Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice and Spinach
Ingredients
- 10 ounces frozen steamable cauliflower rice, (I use Green Giant)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces (~8 cups) fresh spinach
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ⅓ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Cook Cauliflower Rice: Cook frozen cauliflower rice in microwave, according to package instructions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake Casserole: Transfer casserole dish to oven and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, about 13 minutes.
- Serve: Remove dish from oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
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