When embarking on a ketogenic diet, many people worry about giving up their favorite comforting meals. Thankfully, with a little creativity, you can still enjoy hearty and satisfying casseroles while staying within your macros. Keto casseroles are perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or feeding a crowd. They are easy to customize with your favorite proteins, vegetables, and cheeses, making them a versatile option for any low-carb lifestyle.
Ground Beef Keto Casserole
This recipe is a hearty, cheesy, and comforting low-carb dinner that's perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep. Made with juicy ground beef, a rich and creamy sauce, green beans, and a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheese, this low-carb ground beef casserole is baked to perfection until golden and bubbly. It’s naturally gluten-free and has less than 4g net carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Cream cheese
- Beef broth
- Heavy cream
- Bragg's Aminos (or soy sauce)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- Green beans
- Cheddar cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the ground beef until it’s nicely browned. Drain off any extra grease using a strainer.
- Next, add the softened cream cheese to the skillet with the beef and stir until the cheese melts and mixes in smoothly.
- Pour in the beef broth, heavy cream, Bragg's Aminos (or soy sauce), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir everything well.
- Increase the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the sauce thickens a bit. This will make your casserole creamy and delicious.
- Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the drained green beans.
- Sprinkle the cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Tips for the Perfect Keto Ground Beef Casserole
- Browning the Beef: Avoid overcrowding the skillet when browning the ground beef. If the beef is packed in too tight, it won’t brown properly-it’ll steam instead.
- Creamy Sauce: Nobody likes a lumpy sauce! For the creamiest texture, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before adding it to the pan. If you’re short on time, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and cut it into small pieces.
- Sauce Consistency: Wondering if your sauce is thick enough? Here’s a simple test: Dip the back of a spoon into the sauce and run your finger through it. If the line stays clear and doesn’t fill in quickly, your sauce is perfect!
- Thin Sauce: If your sauce feels a bit runny, don’t stress-it’s an easy fix. Keep simmering it over low heat, stirring occasionally, to let some of the liquid evaporate. Still too thin? Stir in a little extra cream cheese or sprinkle some shredded cheese to thicken it.
- Thick Sauce: If your sauce is too thick and hard to stir, simply add a splash of beef broth or heavy cream. Start small, stir well, and see if the consistency improves.
- Cast Iron Skillet: Any oven-safe dish or skillet will work, but if you’ve got a cast iron skillet, definitely use it! Cast iron heats evenly, giving your casserole that perfect texture and flavor boost.
Variations
- Meat Options: You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, Italian sausage, or pork.
- Seasoning & Toppings: Experiment with taco seasoning for a Tex-Mex twist.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigeration: Let the casserole cool completely before putting it in an airtight container and storing it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For longer storage, wrap the cooled casserole in plastic wrap and foil. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Microwave cooking time will vary depending on the size of your serving.
Cheesy Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole
This casserole is a stunningly easy and delicious keto dinner recipe. It comes together in 25 minutes and has less than 5g net carbs per serving! The garlicky Alfredo sauce paired with tender chunks of chicken and sautéed broccoli is so rich and flavorful. And the cheesy topping is mouthwatering!
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken
- Broccoli
- Butter
- Garlic
- Heavy whipping cream
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once melted, add the broccoli and sauté until bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the broccoli to a bowl.
- Melt the remaining butter in the pan and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the cream and bring to a simmer, then cook until reduced and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in 1/3 cup of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the broccoli and the chicken and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Preheat the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Tips and Variations
- Use an ovenproof skillet: This is a recipe that goes straight from stovetop to oven, so that you don’t have to transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
- Subbing frozen broccoli: If you want to use frozen broccoli, you won’t even need to cook it. Let it thaw completely, then skip to Step 2 and make the sauce.
- What kind of chicken works best?: Use cooked boneless, skinless chicken for this casserole. I like to use chicken thighs for their richer flavor, but breasts work as well. If using rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and bones.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
Other Keto Casserole Recipes to Explore
The world of keto casseroles extends far beyond ground beef and chicken. Here are some other delicious options to try:
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
- Keto Mexican Casserole: This spicy and delicious casserole is the perfect quick dinner when you’re looking to shake up Taco Tuesday!
- Keto Breakfast Casserole: This casserole is loaded with all of your breakfast favorites in one low carb, easy to meal prep dish!
- Keto Green Bean Casserole: This casserole is as satisfying and comforting as the original, but without the carbs.
- Keto Cheeseburger Casserole: Get all of the flavors you love in a cheeseburger packed into this keto-friendly casserole!
- Keto Taco Casserole: Layers of all of your favorite Mexican flavors make this casserole incredibly delicious and satisfying!
Tips for Making the Best Keto Casseroles
- Crunchy Topping: Use pork rinds for an extremely low-carb and perfectly crunchy topping.
- Thickening Agent: Use xanthan gum instead of flour to thicken the casserole’s sauce.
- Creaminess: Use heavy cream or cream cheese for a creamy texture without the carbs.
- Protein: Keto casseroles can be made meatless or with various proteins added in.
Keto Taco Casserole
Meaty, cheesy, and with loads of flavor, there’s nothing quite like this hearty and satisfying keto Taco Casserole. When you’re craving Mexican-inspired flavors but want something you can throw together in minutes, it doesn’t get any better than Keto Taco Casserole. The ground beef really gets a punch of flavor from the homemade taco seasoning while the Rotel, cheese, olives, and onion balance out the dish.
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef
- Onions
- Garlic
- Canned tomatoes
- Taco seasoning
- Olives
- Cheese
Instructions
- Brown the beef in a large skillet. Drain off all but about 2 tbsp of the fat.
- Add the onions and the garlic and sautee for about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the canned tomatoes, liquid and all, and the taco seasoning. Stir well and heat through.
- Fold in the olives.
- Add the beefy mixture to a casserole pan and top with cheese.
- Bake at 375-F for about 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Tips and Variations
- Use lean ground beef: You get more beef per pound and will toss out less fat. You can also use ground pork, chicken or turkey. Or, mix and match using 1/2 a pound of ground beef plus 1/2 a pound of another ground meat.
- Fresh spices are key! Use my Taco Seasoning that’s loaded with Texas-inspired flavors, or your favorite brand. Watch for hidden carbs and starches!
- No Rotel? No problem - use regular diced tomatoes and a can of green chilis, or just go with the regular tomatoes.
- Shred your own cheese: Not only is it cheaper, but pre-shredded cheese is tossed with an anti-caking agent aka starch.
- Add veggies: You can also add diced green bell pepper and other veggies to the beef mixture before baking.
Serving Suggestions
Because this low-carb taco casserole recipe is so flavorful, you can keep your side dishes pretty light. It’s also great with simple Cauliflower Rice. I like to add some cilantro and a squeeze of lime to match the flavors of the casserole.
Storage and Reheating
- Freezing: To freeze your beefy taco casserole after baking it, allow it to fully chill in the refrigerator overnight. Then, wrap it in the baking dish in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then store it in the freezer.
Keto Chicken Casserole Recipes
If you’re looking for a comforting set-it-and-forget-it meal, try one of these easy keto chicken casserole recipes.
- Keto Chicken Parmesan Casserole: This dish has it all. It’s hard to resist the flavor of perfectly seasoned moist chicken breast, rich mozzarella cheese, tangy marinara sauce, smoked bacon crumbles, and freshly chopped basil.
- Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole: This casserole is packed full of protein, high quality fats, and there are even a couple of healthy green veggies in there like spinach and broccoli.
- Keto Chicken Pot Pie Casserole: Prepare the filling by melting three tablespoons of butter over a medium heat. Next, add in the onion, carrots, celery, chicken, garlic, chicken stock, Dijon mustard, shredded white cheddar cheese, and heavy cream. Set the filling aside when you’re done and turn your attention to making the dough, using keto friendly baking options like coconut flour, almond flour, and more.
- Spicy Keto Chicken Casserole: After preheating your oven to 375 degrees, you’ll want to place four chicken breast halves into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of garlic powder over top of the breasts, then season them with salt and pepper. Next, drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the chicken before you then spread the cream cheese over top.
- Keto Chicken and Broccoli Casserole: Mix chicken and broccoli into a casserole dish, along with garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and chicken stock.
- Keto Chicken Fajita Casserole: Add red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, chili powder, ground cumin, and spicy (or mild if you would prefer) salsa into a small bowl, along with ½ of a small onion that has been finely chopped and two teaspoons of dried oregano. Add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and then pour the mixture over top of the chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish. Add in a bit of softened cream cheese and shredded white cheddar cheese for a topping to finish it all off and then you can fire your casserole into the oven.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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