This keto cheeseburger casserole skillet is a rich and hearty dish packed with beef, bacon, and cheese, that only takes 20 minutes.
One-Pan Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
I’m a huge fan of casseroles. They’re so hearty, comforting, and filling. This keto cheeseburger casserole skillet is one of my favorite casserole recipes. It’s rich, full of melted cheese, and loaded with meat. It has all your favorite cheeseburger elements: ground beef, bacon, cheese, mustard, and onions. But because it’s a casserole rather than served on a bun, it’s keto-friendly.
It’s also super easy to make. This decadent dinner has a total time of only 20 minutes! That means you can whip it up after work in the middle of the week. This recipe tastes like a cheeseburger and casserole all in one so if you love burgers and casseroles as much as I do, then you’ve got to give this recipe a try.
Why You’ll Love this Cheesy Keto Dinner
I make this casserole skillet all the time. Here’s why I know you’ll love it as much as I do.
- Quick and easy. The flavors in this cheeseburger casserole are complex. But making it is not. This recipe only uses ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge or pantry. And best of all, prep time is 5 minutes and cooking time is only 15 minutes!
- Super rich. Sometimes a decadent and hearty meal is exactly what I’m craving. When that’s what I want, this recipe hits the spot. It has ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. It’s packed full of rich ingredients.
- Storable. I’m a big fan of having convenient meals. Not only is this recipe quick and easy to make, but it’s great for storing in the fridge or freezer. You can make a large batch of this keto cheeseburger casserole and have easy leftovers for a long time.
- No mess. This is a one-pot meal. So you won’t be left with a messy kitchen after making this delicious dinner.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s everything you need to make this meaty and cheesy casserole recipe. Head to the recipe card at the bottom of the article to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Bacon: use your favorite variety.
- Lean ground beef: you can also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.
- Onion: I use a yellow onion for this recipe, but a white one will work too.
- Tomato paste: A hint of tomato paste adds an authentic cheeseburger flavor.
- Mustard: just like the tomato paste, the mustard helps add a true cheeseburger flavor. Don’t worry, it is not an overwhelming flavor.
- Cream cheese: this lends to the richness of the dish and makes the texture ultra creamy.
- Broth: Chicken or beef broth will work in this recipe.
- Spices: Onion powder, Garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Cheddar cheese: For best results, grate your own cheese. However, pre-shredded will work fine, too.
How to Make Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Skillet
Here are the instructions to make this 20-minute cheeseburger casserole recipe. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the printable recipe card with instructions, ingredients, and the amounts.
- Cook the bacon. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Add the chopped bacon and cook until it’s crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease.
- Sauté the meat and onions. Add the ground beef and onion to the skillet and cook until the meat is browned. Drain any remaining grease from the pan.
- Make the sauce. Put the spices, broth, mustard, tomato paste, and cream cheese in the skillet. Stir until the cream cheese melts and turns into a sauce.
- Add the bacon and cheddar. Turn the heat to low and place the cooked bacon and shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Finish cooking. Put a lid on the skillet and cook until the cheese is completely melted. This should take 5-7 minutes.
Tips for Success
Here are some of my favorite tricks and tips for making this cheesy casserole.
- Really brown the meat. The secret to getting the best hamburger flavor is to brown the ground beef. Make sure your pan is sufficiently hot before adding the beef, and don’t stir it too often. Let the beef get a good color on it before you add the next ingredients. That ensures that the keto casserole skillet will have a super meaty flavor.
- Use a large skillet. This recipe is pretty big. Make sure to use a skillet that is big enough to handle the job. The larger your skillet, the more surface area there will be to brown the meat and keep the casserole hot.
- Get the cheese super melty. Because this casserole is cooked in its own sauce, you don’t have to worry about overcooking it. So make sure that you cook it for a sufficient time so that the cheddar cheese on top becomes runny and gooey.
What to Serve it With
You can eat this one-pot keto cheeseburger casserole skillet all by itself. But I like to serve it with a nice side dish or two to really make a complete meal. Here are some of my favorite foods to serve with this keto casserole.
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Keto Garlic Bread Chaffles
- Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Fried Cabbage with Bacon
- Crispy Green Bean Fries
- Air Fryer Broccoli
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Cheeseburger Casserole
This dinner will last for up to 4 days in the fridge. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container. Reheat over medium heat for 5 minutes, or in a microwave on 80% power in 30-second increments.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes! I love to freeze this casserole for easy meals. Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight or defrost in the microwave before reheating.
More Keto Ground Beef Recipes
If you loved this recipe, then don’t worry … there’s more where that came from! Here are a few more of my favorite keto-friendly ground beef dinners.
- Keto Cabbage and Beef Soup
- Keto Tacos
- Bacon Cheeseburger Quesadillas
- Keto Taco Salad
- Keta Taco Pizza
Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Skillet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bacon chopped into small pieces
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 1/2 cup chopped onion about half of one small onion
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Cook the chopped bacon until crisp, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Drain off all of the bacon grease except 1 tablespoon. Add the ground beef and onion. Brown the meat and drain off any grease.
- Add the tomato paste, mustard, cream cheese, broth, and spices. Stir until the cream cheese has melted and a sauce has formed.
- Reduce the heat to low and top with the cooked bacon and cheddar cheese.
- Cover the skillet and cook on low for 5-7 minutes until cheese is completely melted.
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Reheat on the stove over medium heat for 5 minutes, or in a microwave on 80% power in 30-second increments.
Tiffany says
This dish is fabulous! One of the best keto recipes I’ve ever tried.
amayoza says
Tiffany that is high praise! Thank you so much, I’m working on a Keto soup with these same flavors, I hope to have it up next week!
Ashley says
Great easy meal. Had turkey meat and no plan and stumbled across this recipe. Subbed ketchup for the tomato paste as I had none. Reminds me of cheese burger hamburger helper without noodles.
Shawn says
Thanks for the great recipe. Hubby loved it. Super easy to make and can’t believe it’s keto.
Lan says
Hi
I just sign up. I went through your main dishes they look so good and appear easy to make.
We were almost neighbors twice I lived in Northwest AL and moved to Collierville, TN diagnosed with asthma so had to move west been living in CO for 22 year now. Born and raised in AL for the most part but father worked railroad so moved around. Miss the south but here for health reasons.
Look forward to getting your recipes. Nice meeting you. Thanks Lan
Julie says
This dish is incredible!! Thank you for sharing!!
Kelly says
Oh my goodness, this is so good! I had bariatric surgery and the after-diet is very similar to keto, so I love revamping keto recipes to my needs. I added a little dill relish to mine and some shredded zucchini and carrots for some added vitamins. Delicious. Even my husband loved it–I put his on top of mashed potatoes and he devoured it. I am making this again and again!
Becky says
Making this recipe for the second time because everyone loved it so much!! This will be a regular meal in our house. Thanks!
Annie says
Thanks so much Becky, that made my day! I’m so glad your family loves this as much as we do!
Shamika says
I want to make this but can u tell me what is the serving size?
Annie says
Hi Shamika, it makes 4 servings so I just divide the final dish into 4 servings, that is usually between 3/4 and 1 cup for me (it will vary a little depending on the fat content of the meat you use)
Crystal Jimenez says
What is the tablespoons of bacon grease for?
Annie says
It is used to brown the beef and onion
Jocelyn says
Quick, easy, & yummy! I served it over cauliflower rice and absolutely loved it! My mom used to make cheeseburger pie, and it reminded me a lot of that. I’ll definitely be making it again! Thank you!
Trish says
Really good! I added some chopped dill pickles at the end.
Heather says
Hi, how much broth is needed? It got left out and I’m making it now.
Annie says
Hi, it is listed under the cream cheese, you need 1/2 cup of broth.
April says
What can u have with this meal that would be low in carbs
Janine Naquin says
Hi! I’m eating this as I type. It’s very good!! Wonderful flavors! I added green bell pepper, garlic (even though it has garlic powder), mushrooms and topped it with chopped tomatoes. Love it! My son put it on a bun. He loved it! I can’t wait to try out another one of your recipes!