
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThis post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free. (Full disclosure)
If there’s one type of meal that makes an appearance most often at our house, it’s low carb dinner recipes that are an entire meal in one. Even more so when they are flexible enough to make ahead or freeze! This easy keto cheeseburger casserole has been a favorite for a long time, because it fits all of that criteria and it’s very family-friendly. I’m excited to finally share it with you! I hope this skinny low carb cheeseburger casserole recipe will become a staple for your family like it is for mine.
Layers in a Low Carb Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
Traditional cheeseburger casserole recipes almost always include a starch. Most often this pasta, but sometimes roasted potatoes or rice. These are obviously all unsuitable for a low carb cheeseburger casserole.
Can you guess what my keto cheeseburger casserole recipe uses instead? It’s probably my favorite low carb vegetable ever… or at least the most versatile – cauliflower!
So, even though it’s loaded with cheese and beef, using the cauliflower actually makes this a skinny cheeseburger casserole. In addition to being keto friendly, it’s also pretty light for such a hearty type of dish. It has 479 calories and 2 grams net carbs in a large meal-sized portion.
But even if you’re not a huge fan of cauliflower, don’t turn away just yet. You might actually like the way we use it in this keto cheeseburger casserole recipe.
Unlike many of my most popular easy low carb casserole recipes, such as chicken bacon ranch casserole, lazy cabbage roll casserole, and chicken cordon bleu casserole, this one is comprised of layers.
We have 3 main layers in the skinny cheeseburger casserole…
1. The Cheesy Base Layer
The base is similar to a cheesy cauliflower rice. Just like my cauliflower fried rice and cauliflower pizza crust recipes, we stir fry it first. This releases all the moisture and cooks the cauliflower, at the same time avoiding that awful steamed cauliflower smell. Win-win!
The base layer also has some similarities to the flavors in loaded cauliflower casserole, because of the cheddar cheese and cream in there. You could leave the florets whole like that recipe does, but the keto cheeseburger casserole stays together much better with riced cauliflower.
2. The Hearty Beef Layer
You can’t have a low carb cheeseburger casserole without ground beef, can you? Of course not. This layer is simply sauteed ground beef. I use a ratio of 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of ground beef, which is what Julia Child recommends.
And, you can use the same pan you used to stir fry the cauliflower, so no additional dishes. Yay!
3. The Topping
The last layer in keto cheeseburger casserole is the topping. Add anything here that you’d put on your burger. (That is, anything that can withstand heat – no lettuce, please!) I used ketchup, mustard and cheddar cheese.
Once all the layers are assembled, the low carb cheeseburger casserole goes in the oven, until the cheese is nice and gooey.
Tips For How To Make Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
For some tips and variations when making this low carb cheeseburger casserole recipe, you can try…
…Ricing cauliflower in the easiest way for you.
If you haven’t riced cauliflower before, it’s very easy to do! Check my post on cauliflower fried rice for instructions on how to do it using a food processor or box grater.
…Buying pre-made riced cauliflower to save time and effort.
>> Can you just buy riced cauliflower?
Sure! Many grocery stores carry it these days. If purchasing fresh cauliflower rice, make sure to buy it no more than 1-2 days before using, otherwise the raw stuff in the bag gets mushy and spoils pretty quickly in the fridge.
>> Can you use frozen cauliflower rice?
Yep, that works too! No need to thaw it. You can just stir fry it from frozen.
Either way, this will skip the step of making the cauliflower rice yourself.
…Using cauliflower florets instead of cauliflower rice.
While it’s not my favorite method for this recipe, you can use cauliflower florets instead.
If you do, you’ll need to roast them first, which is actually more time consuming than just stir frying the cauliflower rice. I highly recommend using my favorite method for the best roasted cauliflower.
After that, you can mix it with the cheese and cream, then proceed with the low carb cheeseburger casserole recipe as written.
…Including homemade sugar-free ketchup if you can, or buying it if you need to.
What about the ketchup in this keto cheeseburger casserole recipe? Doesn’t ketchup contain sugar?
It’s up to you what to do with this one. My preference is to make my own easy sugar-free ketchup recipe like this.
You can also purchase ketchup if you’d like. There are a couple brands that make natural sugar-free ketchup without artificial sweeteners, including this one and this one.
Otherwise, if your household is cutting carbs and sugar but not strictly sugar-free, you can use a regular store bought ketchup as well. From a functional standpoint it will work just fine, and even then this skinny cheeseburger casserole recipe will be much lighter than most casseroles.
…Adding your favorite toppings.
This easy cheeseburger casserole recipe is a breeze to customize with your favorite toppings. Almost anything you can put on a burger, you can put it either on or in this casserole!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
>> Want a bacon cheeseburger casserole?
Crumble some bacon on top of the cheese.
>> Like pickles on your burgers?
Add some on top of the ground beef. Don’t add too much, though, because they tend to water down the casserole. This is why I left them out of the base version on the recipe card. It’s up to you if that’s worth the trade-off. You can also just add them on top at the end.
>> Missing the lettuce or tomatoes?
Shred or dice ’em on top of the casserole after baking.
>> Feel like a bun – with or without sesame seeds?
Serve the casserole with some almond flour biscuits, or just top it with sesame seeds.
…Making the low carb cheeseburger casserole in advance.
A huge bonus about this low carb casserole is that it’s easy to make ahead! Check the instructions below on how to freeze it, or simply make it a few days beforehand for meal prep.
How To Freeze Skinny Cheeseburger Casserole
You can easily make skinny cheeseburger casserole ahead, either for meal prep or for freezing long term.
How to meal prep keto cheeseburger casserole
To meal prep this casserole just a few days ahead, complete all the steps except adding the toppings (ketchup, mustard and cheese). These are best added right before baking, because they’ll soak into the meat below too much if they sit in the fridge for a long time.
Instead, prepare the base layer and meat layer in the casserole dish, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. When you want to serve the low carb cheeseburger casserole, simply add the toppings and cheese. Then, complete the final baking step to heat it through and melt the cheese.
However, if you already made the casserole and just want to store the leftovers, they’ll still be plenty good if you refrigerate them all assembled. This is also convenient if you want to plan ahead for work lunches that you can take with you.
Can you freeze low carb cheeseburger casserole?
If you want to freeze this easy cheeseburger casserole, go for it! Just assemble the whole thing and let it cool to room temperature before freezing. The flavor is optimal for about 6 months, but it’s safe in the freezer even beyond that.
To reheat after freezing, you can either do it from frozen or thaw it first. The ketchup and mustard do mix into the meat a little more than they would if it was fresh, but it’s still delicious!
Easy Low Carb Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
This keto low carb cheeseburger casserole with cauliflower, seasoned beef, cheddar cheese, and zesty toppings is an all-in-one dinner!
Recipe Video
Tap on the image below to watch the video.Like this video? Subscribe to my YouTube cooking channel for healthy recipes weekly! (Click the bell icon to be notified when I post a new video.)
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Base Layer
Beef Layer
Topping
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
Rice the cauliflower using a food processor or box grater. (Learn more about how to make cauliflower rice here.)
-
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower rice and sea salt. Stir fry until the cauliflower is cooked and a little browned, about 7-10 minutes.
-
Remove from heat. Stir in the cheddar cheese and heavy cream.
-
Transfer the mixture evenly to a 9 x 13 in (23 x 33 cm) glass casserole dish. Set aside.
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
-
Lightly wipe down the saute pan to remove any cauliflower pieces, and add the ground beef. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook the ground beef until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain if needed.
-
Sprinkle the ground beef evenly over the cauliflower in the casserole dish.
-
Drizzle the casserole with ketchup (you can make your own sugar-free ketchup like this, or store bought is fine if you are not strictly sugar-free) and mustard. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
-
Bake for about 10 minutes, until casserole is hot and cheese melts.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our free low carb support group, too - I'd love to see it!
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/9 of entire casserole (cut into approx 3 x 4.3 in rectangles)
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Want to save this recipe?
Create a free account to save your favorite recipes!
Sign Up To Save Recipes© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We'd LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
136 Comments
Suzy
0Excellent!! My husband almost ate the whole thing! I was lucky to get a piece!!
Anne
0Omg this is absolutely delicious. Thank you so much, Maya, for sharing your recipe’s. You make my life so much easier as I work nights and meals like this can be batch cooked. Another favourite to add to my quick easy and delicious collection.
Joi
0This was great. My husband hates cauliflower but he couldn’t taste it at all.
Rhonda
0We liked this one also🙃🌺🌼
Heather
0I find the metric conversion very helpful. I noticed it hasn’t been added to the Easy Low Carb Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe. Is it possible for it to be amended please?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Heather, This has been updated, enjoy!
Johnnie
0Could I pre-riced cauliflower?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Johnnie, Yes, that would work.
Tina
0I made this for dinner tonight for myself & husband. It was so easy and so good! I also made the sugar-free ketchup to use in the casserole. Perfect. Will make again for sure.
Misti
0I have made this recipe multiple times. After the second time we started adding Montreal steak seasoning to the burger meat and seasoned it like a hamburger. This is so good and one of the family’s favorites!
Debora E Rempel
0Can you freeze and reheat this?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Debora, Yes, you can freeze and reheat.
Debbie
0This was delicious!! Will make it again…
Shelly Lajeunesse
0Excellent! Made this one a few times! Delicious! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Jessica
0LOVED THIS!! Tasted like a McDonald’s cheeseburger. My whole crew loved it. Thank you!! We used 1lbs of hamburger and 1lbs of sausage and added garlic to the cauliflower. YUM!!!
Anne
0Just made this and it’s delicious! I don’t care for mustard so I omitted that and used Heinz no sugar added ketchup. So easy and hearty! Every one of Maya’s recipes that I’ve made have been great 😊
Diane
0This recipe was so easy and SO delicious. This will definitely become a staple in our house. Yum!!!
Melessa Boyd
0One of my husband’s favorites! It’s all there, meat, cheese, and cauliflower, a carnivore’s favorite! Lol
Tiffany
0I am new to the world of keto. This is absolutely delicious and will be in my regular rotation of meals! I love how you incorporated cauliflower in the dish.
Theresa Burnette
0Delicious!!! I think I used too much oil and I chopped the cauliflower too fine…. But nevertheless, it was great.
Andrea
0Omg!!! This was amazing! I made it with Boars Head pastrami because hubby prefers it. My husband doesn’t love cauliflower but I gave him more Russian dressing and he was good. I loved loved loved it.
Jean
0I find myself defaulting to WholesomeYum more and more when looking for recipes because they are so reliable. This one was delicious! It was very hard to read on my temperamental iPad due to ads & inserts, but even though I massively screwed up the proportions, it still came out great!
Deborah
0Really great when missing pasta casserole! Simple and yummy! Thank You!
Anna
0Beside avocado oil….what else could I use?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Anna, You could also use olive oil.
April
0I used refined coconut oil for everything because that’s the only oil that doesn’t mess up my stomach. It turned out fine also.
Kawana
0My first time making this recipe. First time making riced cauliflower as well. Was surprised at how little work went into making this dish. I enjoyed adding my favorite cheese burger garnishes, like pickles and mustard. Very filling, especially with 1/2 slice of homemade keto bread.
Tonya
0What serving size are you basing the nutritional facts on?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tonya, This recipe makes 9 servings.
Annemarie
0I thought this recipe was very good. Will definitely make this again.
Lane
0Made this tonight for dinner and it was very good. My daughter loved it. I added chopped onions after it came out of the oven.
Heather Mellars
0This was delicious!
Thank you ❤️
Marion cardoza
0This was horrible. Not much taste except mustard and ketchup. Come on I honestly was looking forward to a tasty dish. SMH
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marion, Sorry this recipe didn’t suit your tastes. If you decide to try it again, you can leave off the ketchup and mustard until ready to serve. That way you can adjust the amount to suit your preferences.
Mary
0I made this for dinner and my husband and I loved it! I used salsa instead of ketchup and my husband put his scoop over rice. I found it very filling without the rice as I am grain free.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Sarah
0Absolutely amazing but can we freeze it??
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sarah, Yes! This recipe freezes very well!
Brad Woods
0Hi, i’d just like to suggest giving a measurement for the amount of cauliflower rice. I riced my 1 large head of cauliflower and it yielded 8 cups (compressed). I was planning to prepare two dishes which both use cauliflower rice and the other calls for 4 cups. I came here and read though all the comments where I found you mentioned 1 head should equal 4 cups. I’m glad I checked because I needed used all 8 cups for 1 meal.
Elenie Smith
0I do hope you can help me. There are so many of your lovely recipes I try and enjoy. 🙂 I sometimes have to substitute ingredients cause I cannot have any foods from the nightshade family. And this recipe is a challenge for me.
My question is: Could you Please suggest what I could substitute for tomato sauce (ketchup) and for salsa?
I omit jalapenos and chilli and eggplant from any recipe and substitute
Thanking you in advance for your help and advise
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Elenie, Feel free to omit the ketchup in the recipe if you are avoiding nightshades. If you would like to sub another ingredient in, I’d try it with a salad dressing you enjoy (i.e. ranch, blue cheese, or Italian dressing). I hope this helps!
Jamie
0I know it’s way late for this, there’s a product called Carrup that is tomato-free!
Roxane E. Powers
0Cheeseburger Casserole was excellent. I will be making this more often.
Laine
0My husband said he liked this dish, though the ketchup and mustard flavoring actually didn’t suit me. I really liked the cauliflower bottom, however. So overall, it was an ok dish in my opinion. Thanks for the idea! I liked your eggplant lasagna dish a lot, btw! So thought I’d try this one next.
Janet F Denny
0Woo Hoo, this is a KEEPER! So good. I used 2 bags of 10 oz cauliflower rice as I did not have fresh cauliflower, this made it so easy. I subbed 1/4 sour cream for the heavy cream. We topped it with chopped pickles. Will definitely be in the dinner rotation. THANKS for a great recipe.
Krisi
0This was amazing, even my picky kids went back for seconds! I added pickles because we are pickle freaks. The way you prepare your cauliflower for the bottom layer is delicious by itself. I am going to make that as a side dish for other meals.
Felicia Taylor
0Made this for dinner. Tasted so good. Don’t skip the mustard it really brings out the flavour.
Lex
0This is the first Wholesome Yum recipe I ever tried months ago (and led me to try others). I like that there are few ingredients to whip together to make a great meal. I’m a single guy doing keto. Casseroles last me three to four nights and they freeze well too. I usually have a keto-friendly salad with it. I don’t miss the bun or other starch at all. Thanks for making keto easy and tasty, Maya.
Catryna
0I’ve been looking at a few of your keto casserole recipes and I was wondering. Could I just use frozen cauliflower rice from the frozen food section at the store for these recipes? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Catryna, Yes frozen cauliflower rice will work well in this recipe.
Lisa
0I made this recipe tonight and because I can’t consume dairy, I substituted cheese with vegan Cheddar-style shreds and heavy cream with coconut cream. My concern with this is not knowing if it remained keto because there are carbs in vegan cheeses. I’d welcome any comments you’d have on this. I served the casserole on a bed of romaine lettuce to increase the vitamins in my meal. The cauliflower base tasted very similar to the roasted head of cauliflower that I make, which is a family favourite.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lisa, You have a good point, vegan cheese is usually much higher in carbs than traditional cheese. It will all depend on the brand you purchase the ingredients they use in their cheese product. Check the packaging on your preferred brand. If the carb count is high then you may want to use less cheese than the recipe calls for, or skip it completely.
Alicia Sorenson
0I’d like to make this for my family, but my husband doesn’t like ketchup. Would it work to just add the ketchup and mustard to mine after the cheese topping has cooked?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alicia, Yes, that should work fine.
PamS
0Can I sub ground turkey for the beef?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi PamS, Yes, absolutely!