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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, low carb keto cheeseburger casserole has been a favorite for a long time, because it fits all of that criteria and it’s family-friendly. I’m excited to finally share it with you! I hope this keto hamburger casserole will become a staple for your family like it is for mine.
Unlike other keto casseroles, this casserole has layers like a cheeseburger! The base is similar to my loaded cauliflower casserole, while the beef and topping layers are similar to a big mac casserole. You’re going to love it!
Why You Need My Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
- Cheeseburger taste, without the bun
- Seasoned ground beef
- Gooey, melty cheese
- Quick prep time
- Just 2.6g net carbs per serving
- Naturally gluten-free
- Easy cheeseburger casserole recipe for meal prep
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my cheeseburger keto casserole recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Base Layer:
- Avocado Oil – For your pan. Olive oil or any other neutral cooking oil works.
- Cauliflower – Some people make cheeseburger casserole with pasta, but I used cauliflower rice for a healthier option that’s just as comforting. You can also use store-bought riced cauliflower (fresh or frozen), or use one of my roasted cauliflower recipes as the base instead.
- Sea Salt
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Pairs with the riced cauliflower for a cheesy layer. You can use any cheese you’d serve on a burger, such as mozzarella, Swiss, or Monterey Jack.
- Heavy Cream – Makes it rich and creamy. You could also use half and half, or coconut cream.
Beef Layer:
- Ground Beef – I typically use 85/15 grass-fed beef, which is flavorful without being too greasy, but use any variety you like. You could even sub ground chicken or ground turkey for lighter options.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Top Layer:
- Ketchup – My fave is homemade sugar-free ketchup, but I like this store-bought brand when I’m in a hurry.
- Mustard – I used yellow mustard for classic hamburger flavor, but Dijon mustard works, too.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – For a gooey topping.
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowHow To Make Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the base layer. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower rice and sea salt. Stir fry until the cauliflower is cooked and a little browned. Remove from heat, then stir in cheddar cheese and heavy cream. Transfer the cauli rice mixture evenly to a large glass casserole dish.
- Make the beef layer. Cook the ground beef until browned. Drain any excess grease if needed. Sprinkle ground beef mixture evenly over the cauliflower.
- Add toppings. Drizzle the keto cheeseburger casserole with ketchup and mustard. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake. Place the hamburger casserole in the oven and bake, until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted.
Recipe Variations
Want to switch things up? Try these ideas:
- Garlic – Cook a couple cloves of garlic before cooking the cauliflower. For a shortcut, sprinkle the cauli rice with garlic powder instead.
- Onions – Saute diced onions in the olive oil before adding the cauliflower rice to the pan. You could also just stir in some leftover caramelized onions. You could also saute them with the beef instead.
- Spices – I kept it simple with just salt and pepper, but a teaspoon of Italian seasoning or a dash of chili powder added to the meat would work well.
- Bacon – For a low carb bacon cheeseburger casserole, sprinkle chopped oven bacon on top, either before or after baking the casserole.
- Big Mac Style – Follow my big mac casserole recipe, or just drizzle this one with Big Mac sauce.
- Fresh Toppings – Top with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, diced or sliced pickles, or any other burger toppings you like.
Serving Ideas
This keto hamburger casserole is a complete meal on its own, but like a burger, you may want a side or two. Here are some ideas:
- Low Carb Fries – Make it a classic fast-food meal by pairing this keto hamburger casserole with a side of keto french fries or jicama fries. If you want a veggie twist, try zucchini fries.
- Salad – I love to pair this casserole with a simple arugula salad, but you can pair it with any of my keto salad recipes for a quick and easy side dish.
- Roasted Veggies – Serve keto cheeseburger casserole with a side of roasted vegetables like broccoli, or for extra comfort food, cheesy keto brussels sprouts.
- Fruit – For a light and refreshing side, simply serve this dish with a side of keto fruit.
- Dessert – Don’t forget dessert! I like to make a quick and easy keto pudding, but any of my keto desserts would be delicious.
More Keto Casserole Recipes
If you love low carb casseroles that make a complete meal on their own, here are some of my other meal-worthy casserole rotations:
Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
By
Make this low carb keto cheeseburger casserole with hamburger, cauliflower, cheddar cheese, and zesty toppings for an easy, comforting meal.
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Base Layer
Beef Layer
Topping
Instructions
[ See step photos ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Rice the cauliflower using a food processor or box grater. (Learn more about how to make cauliflower rice here.)
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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.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the cheddar cheese and heavy cream.
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Transfer the mixture evenly to a 9 x 13 in (23 x 33 cm) glass casserole dish. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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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.
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Sprinkle the ground beef evenly over the cauliflower in the casserole dish.
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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.
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Bake for about 10 minutes, until casserole is hot and cheese melts.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/9 of entire casserole (cut into approx 3 x 4.3 in rectangles)
- Store: Cover tightly or use an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for 4–5 days.
- Meal prep: Portion into containers for grab-and-go lunches.
- Reheat: Microwave individual bowls for 1–2 minutes, or bake the whole thing at 350°F for 15–20.
- Freeze: Wrap in plastic and foil, then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight for faster reheating, or freeze in single servings to reheat one at a time.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
169 Comments
Anna
0Beside avocado oil….what else could I use?
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.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Anna, You could also use olive oil.
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 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
Jamie
0I know it’s way late for this, there’s a product called Carrup that is tomato-free!
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!
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!