Ground Beef Cauliflower Casserole (Printable Version)

Savory ground beef combined with tender cauliflower rice in a creamy, cheesy baked dish perfect for easy weeknight dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 4 cups cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
05 - 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 cup baby spinach, chopped

→ Dairy

07 - 1 cup sour cream
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Pantry

10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
16 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Garnish

17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and red bell pepper for 3-4 minutes until softened.
03 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
04 - Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking apart with a spatula. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in oregano, basil, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly to distribute spices evenly.
06 - Add cauliflower rice and baby spinach to the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes until cauliflower is tender and excess liquid has evaporated.
07 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in sour cream and half of the cheddar cheese until fully incorporated and creamy.
08 - Spread the mixture evenly into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
09 - Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and all mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
10 - Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
11 - Let casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cheese blanket on top creates the kind of crispy edges everyone fights over at the dinner table
  • It freezes beautifully, so you can stash half for those nights when cooking feels impossible
  • Nobody will guess they are eating something low carb until you tell them
02 -
  • Draining the excess fat from the beef prevents the final dish from being greasy
  • Frozen cauliflower rice releases more water so you may need to cook it a bit longer to evaporate the extra liquid
  • Letting the casserole rest for those 5 minutes is not optional if you want neat servings
03 -
  • Grate your own cheese from blocks instead of buying pre shredded cheese for the creamiest melt
  • Use a box grater to quickly rice fresh cauliflower florets if you cannot find cauliflower rice at the store

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