This One-Pan Keto Cheeseburger Casserole Skillet is about 4 net carbs per serving and is loaded with ground beef, bacon, and cheese! This keto dinner is ready in under 20 minutes!
Welcome to your new favorite dinner. This One-Pan Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole Skillet has become a bit of an obsession in our house.
It is easy to make, requires just one pan, and uses normal ingredients you probably already have on hand. Plus, it is insanely low in carbs. This is everything you want in a weeknight dinner!
This keto hamburger casserole recipe is a spin off of my favorite Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats that I created for my other website, Maebells. (The zucchini boat version is also keto and delicious in its own right, by the way!)
However, I wanted to create a version that had all of that cheeseburger flavor with a little less work and a lot fewer dishes. This version also adds bacon because, let’s face it, the only thing better than a cheeseburger-flavored dish is a bacon cheeseburger dish!
Ingredients in Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
To make this low-carb cheeseburger casserole skillet, you’ll need the following basic ingredients:
- Bacon
- Ground Turkey or Ground Beef
- Onion
- Tomato Paste
- Mustard
- Cream Cheese
- Chicken or Beef Broth
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cheddar Cheese
How to Make Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
This is one of the simplest keto ground beef recipes you’ll ever make. I’ve given detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of how the keto cheeseburger casserole skillet comes togehter:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Cook the chopped bacon until crisp and 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 cooked bacon and remaining cheese.
- Cover the skillet and cook on low until the cheese is completely melted.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bacon, chopped into small pieces
- 1 pound of ground turkey or ground beef
- 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 and 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 stirring until the cream cheese has melted and a sauce has formed.
- Reduce the heat to low and top with cooked bacon and remaining cheese.
- Cover the skillet and cook on low for 5-7 minutes until cheese is completely melted.
Keto Tips
No fruit, unless it’s berries in moderation…
No wheat
No sugar
No grains
No pasta
No potatoes
No rice
No beans
No starches
No milk as it’s loaded with sugar. ( unsweetened almond milk is recommended.)
HWC (Heavy whipping cream) is good in coffee or whatever you would like to use it for.
Meat, cheese, eggs, vegetable, nuts, and healthy fats. It’s simple. Stick to that, and you should be ok!
Vegetables that should be avoided are…
Sweet potatoes
Corn
Peas
Potatoes
Carrots – can be used in moderation, just don’t go over board. They are full of starches and not recommended.
Make sure to drink half your body weight In oz of water as well if you aren’t getting the adequate amount of water it can be bad for your kidneys! This applies for all forms of keto.
Do not forget your electrolytes, they are needed daily.
A good form of electrolytes is:
Powerade zero
Pickle juice
Pink Himalayan salt added to your food
Strict keto – counts all macros, do not eat processed foods.
Lazy keto – doesn’t track all macros, still eats processed foods, as long as they are on plan
Macros are a break down of the calories you intake for the day. Which should be…
5% carbs
20% protein
75% fat
Carb manager is a great app to track macros
Carbs are a limit – try not to go over your carb limit.
Fat is a lever – you don’t have to meet your fat macro, it’s simply there to help you get full.
Protein is a goal- try your best to reach your protein goal, but try not to go over. Excessive amounts of protein can cause you to stall in weight loss.
Anything other than this food group selection would be considered low carb. Also, if you are in ketosis, and eat outside of this food group not only could it take you out of ketosis, but it could spike your blood sugar! Which can make you sick.
Hope this helps. 
If you are a keto newbie- This should help 
• Beef- Ground beef, Steak, Ribs, and Roasts
• Pork- Chops, Ribs, BACON, Loins, sausage
• Chicken/Turkey- Thighs w/skin or wings are the best because breasts are high in protein. However, you CAN eat breasts, just have to eat more fat to compensate.
• Fish- Tuna, Salmon, Cod, Haddock, etc.
• Shrimp/Lobster- Go crazy, use lots of butter!
• Pepperoni
Cheese: MOST are no carb, almost all are low carb
• Mozerella & Cheddar- Buy in bulk, they freeze well and are insanely versatile!
• Colby jack, pepper jack, monterrey jack
• Taco style, Mexican style
• Parmesan, Asiago
• Ricotta- Freezes well, very versatile
• Cottage cheese- Good to throw in your lunch with berries, usually around 4-8g of Carbs per serving
• Cream Cheese- Freezes very well, this is one of the things that I always glance at whenever I go to the store, and always buy a bunch of if it’s under 75 cents per 8oz.
Vegetables: No potatoes! Get your carbs from above ground veggies!!!
• Leafy greens- Spinach, Spring mix, Kale, Romaine
• Zucchini- Great for a noodle substitute!
• Avacado- Awesome source of natural fat!
• Eggplant
• Brussels sprouts
• Tomato
• Spaghetti Squash- Versatile, makes a great spaghetti substitute and is even great for making hash browns!!
• Cucumber
• Peppers- Jalepeño, banana, green/red/yellow/ orange bell
• Broccoli- Great with cheese, steamed or just raw!
• Asparagus- Awesome roasted or sautéed with bacon and garlic!
• Cauliflower- AWESOME potato substitute!!
• Celery- Great with cream cheese or all natural peanut butter!
• Cabbage
• Pickles (Read nutrition labels, watch for sugar and carbs)
• Olives
• Green beans- Awesome sautéed in bacon grease with garlic, (watch portion size, though).
• Onions- Red, yellow: use somewhat sparingly, to taste
Fruits: Most are a no-no, especially bananas, oranges and grapes.
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Lemon/Limes- Adds great flavor!
Nuts (grams of Carbs per 100 grams, or 3.5 oz)
• Pecans/ Brazil (4g)
• Macadamia (5g)
• Hazelnut/Walnut/Peanut (7g)
• Pine (9g)
• Almond (10g)
• Pistachio (18g)
• Cashew (27g)
Oils/Fats
• Coconut Oil
• Butter: Kerry Gold is best but just make sure it’s REAL butter and not a spread or margarine
• Olive Oil
• Vinaigrette
• Hollandaise
• Bacon/sausage grease
• MCT oil- easily ordered online/in specialty stores
Dressings/Condiments/Fats
• Ranch, Blue cheese, Cesar, Thousand Island, Balsamic- Watch carbs/ sugar, but there’s tons of brands, so you can find one you love!
• Mayo- Natural/organic is best, but I use Hellmann’s all the time.
• Aioli
• Heinz “NO SUGAR ADDED” Ketchup or sugar free ketchup
• G. Hughes brand sugar free BBQ sauce
• Yellow/Spicy Brown Mustard
• Soy sauce
• Hot sauce
Liquids: Use as base for sauces/soups
• Heavy Whipping Cream (HWC)
• Broths/Stocks: Stay away from reduced fat. Bone broth is awesome!
Snacks
• Pepperoni
• Slim Jims/jerky (watch carbs)
• Homemade cheese its/ tortilla chips
• Cheese
• Pork rinds (0 carbs, very versatile. Can be used as breading, nacho substitute or even sprinkled with cinnamon & stevia and eaten like cereal with Almond milk and tastes like cinnamon toast crunch!)
Drinks
• WATER- Lots of it!
• Crystal Light- Tons of options and very convenient!
• Tea with stevia
• Coffee- Add a Tablespoon of coconut oil or MCT oil, Stevia, heavy whipping cream and imitation vanilla/ Hazelnut or Cocoa powder & peppermint BOOM Homemade creamer!
Alcoholic Beverages
• Beers (grams of carbs per 12 oz serving)
Bud Select 55 (1.9)
MGD 64 (2.4)
Rolling Rock Green Light (2.4)
Michelob Ultra (2.6)
Bud Select (3.1)
Beck’s Premier Light (3.2)
Natural Light (3.2)
Michelob Ultra Amber (3.7)
Coors Light (5)
Amsterdam Light (5)
Bud Light (6.6)
• Vodka: Whipped Vodka & flavored water or pineapple Pinnacle with crystal light are a couple of my favorites!
• Whiskey shot (0g carbs)
• Brandy shot (0g carbs)
• Dry Martini (0g carbs)
• Tequila shot (0g carbs)
• Champagne (~1g per serving)
• Dry wine (~2g per serving)
Sweeteners
• Stevia drops (0g)
• Erythritol (0g)
• Truvía (0g)
• Monkfruit (0g)
Other common Ingredients I use
• Almond flour
• Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder
Dont forget your electrolytes, they are needed daily.
• A good form of electrolytes is:
• Powerade zero