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This Paleo Cheeseburger Casserole is an epically delicious, healthy meal the whole family will love! It’s made with a layer of crispy hash browns, seasoned burger, a dairy-free cheese sauce, and fresh toppings.
Hamburger Casserole with Cheese
Ok, now let’s talk Paleo Cheeseburger Casserole! It’s no secret that I LOVE BURGERS. A giant burger with french fries was my first meal after Gray’s delivery and I crave one at least once a week. While I prefer my burger bun-less (lettuce-wrapped, instead), I do still like all the fixings. This casserole is fashioned after my favorite meal …made even more epic by a Paleo-friendly “cheese” (or regular shredded cheese, if you’d prefer that!). The casserole starts off with a crispy layer of hash browns (to replace the fries), a layer of seasoned “burger,” and a layer of either (really easy) Paleo cheese or shredded cheese. All you need to do is assemble, bake so that the flavors come together a bit, and top with your favorite fresh bonus fixings. Spoon up your servings and enjoy!
What is Paleo? What makes this a Paleo Casserole?
The Paleo diet (sometimes called the “caveman” diet) is a way of eating that involves meat, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts, and seeds. This casserole was originally written as a Paleo recipe with a dairy-free nacho cheese sauce as the cheesy topping. Because we wanted cheese-lovers to enjoy this recipe too, though, we’ve updated it to include the Paleo nacho cheese option AND a regular shredded cheese option, so you can decide which route you want to take.
Ingredients for a Paleo Hamburger Hashbrown Casserole with Cheese
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil (or another fat of choice)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1, 20-ounce package of frozen hashbrowns (or 5 cups of shredded potatoes)
- 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese OR Paleo nacho cheese
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked, for topping
- 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, for topping
- 1/2 of a tomato, diced, for topping
- 1 avocado, diced, for topping
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced, for topping
How to Prepare this Paleo Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Saute the onions and garlic – heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a 13-inch cast iron pan (or an oven-safe skillet of similar size). Add the diced onions and garlic and saute for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Add the ground beef – add the ground beef, salt, and pepper to the skillet with the onion and garlic, and cook for 7-8 minutes, until the ground beef is browned and fully cooked. Then remove the ground beef mixture from the pan and set aside.
- Brown the hashbrowns – add the 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan, then add the hashbrowns. Cook the hashbrowns for 5-6 minutes, then flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy and cooked through.
- Assemble the casserole – place the ground beef mixture on top of the hashbrowns in an even layer. Then, top with either the Paleo nacho cheese or shredded cheese.
- Bake – put the skillet in the oven and bake the casserole for 15 minutes.
- Top, serve, and enjoy – once the casserole has finished baking, garnish it with the lettuce, bacon, tomato, avocado, and jalapeno, and serve!
How lean should the meat be for Paleo ground beef recipes?
If you’ve ever been to the ground beef section of the grocery store, you know that there are lots of different lean/fat ratios to choose from when it comes to this versatile protein. We typically use 85/15 ground beef for this recipe (and most ground beef recipes in general).
What is the best way to serve Paleo Cheeseburger Casserole?
Because this casserole is a really balanced meal all on its own, you actually don’t need to make anything extra to go alongside it. If you want to, though, a nice simple green salad would be really tasty!
How should you store the casserole? Does it freeze well?
Store any leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored this way, it’ll keep for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the casserole for up to 3 months! My favorite way to do this is to package individual portions in airtight, freezer-safe containers so that I can heat up a serving (or two!) at a time.
Paleo Cheeseburger Casserole Video
Here’s the recipe video with step-by-step instructions, enjoy!
Just for You
Ground Beef Recipes
Want more recipes and ground beef ideas like this?
Ingredients
For the Casserole:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or other fat of choice, divided
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 20 ounce package frozen hashbrowns or 5 cups shredded potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese or Paleo nacho cheese for dairy-free
For the Topping:
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
- 1/2 to mato diced
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a 13-inch cast iron pan, or 9×13 inch oven-safe pan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the diced onions and garlic and saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper, and cook 7-8 minutes until ground beef is browned and fully cooked. Remove from pan.
- Add the 3 tablespoons oil to the pan, then add hash browns. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, then flip, and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy and cooked through. Place the ground beef and onion mixture on top of the hash browns, then pour on the nacho cheese.
- Put the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. While casserole is baking, prepare the toppings.
- Once casserole has finished baking, garnish with the lettuce, bacon, tomato, avocado, and jalapeno and serve!
Amanda says
Ummmm…this recipe is going to the top of my menu for next week! It looks so good!! As far as tv shows- if you liked New Girl then I recommend Young and Hungry and also Baby Daddy! Both are silly and cute!
Rachel says
Have you watched The Crown yet?! If not, it’s a must see!!! Also, When Calls The Heart is a great one to watch too 🙂 And oh this recipe looks yummy! I can’t wait to try it!
Leah says
I would definitely recommend Scandal!
Devlin says
I had the same experience with my girls! Lots of binge watching while snuggling. If you have amazon prime Sneaky Pete and Goliath are 2 really good shows. I second the The Crown, great show!
Kristin says
This looks great, can’t wait to try! And that cheese – so far I haven’t found a paleo friendly cheese I like, so I’m excited to try it! Two of our favorite Netflix binges have been Shameless and Nurse Jackie, and I loved Breakinh Bad too. My old favorites that I watch over and over are Friends, The Office, and Parks and Rec
Diana says
Hi! I watched so much tv while nursing too! Definitely the most tv I have ever watched in my life in such a short period of time.
Some shows that I watched and loved during the first few months were How to Get Away with Murder, Life in Pieces (short episodes and easy to watch), Glitch, and Travelers.
Thank goodness for Netflix!!
Andrea says
Agree above with Young and Hungry – but Netflix just released the third season of Crazy Ex Girlfriend. Wikipedia describes it as a “romantic musical comedy-drama television series” and it’s absolutely wonderful.
Also, this meal is definitely happening next week in our household. YUM!
Mary Smith says
Many moons ago i binge watched reruns of Seventh Heaven and supermarket sweep (pre netflix) while nursing my 2 oldest.
Call the Midwife and Stranger Things are my current favorites. Enjoy the time with that sweet baby!
Julie Normand says
If you haven’t already, I definitely recommend watching Parenthood! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry…it’s the best!!
Varsha Patel says
Ugh I agree that “Parenthood” is SOOOO good! One of my favorites! The Crown. How to Get Away With Murder. Royal Pains (a medical show that is actually smart and entertaining!) Master of None.
Varsha Patel says
OH and how could I forget!! Madam Secretary is also wonderful.
Shannon w. says
I enjoyed the docuseries Dark Money. And second (third, fourth?) the suggestion for The Crown. Call the Midwife is also a nice, pleasant little show. Godless was great too but it’s not everyone’s taste. Handmaid’s Tale was also great if you’re up for some Hulu viewing.
Leah says
That looks amazing! I loved the binge tv shows when my bubba’s were small and I was stuck on the couch feeding. I’m not sure if it’s the same in America (I’m in Australia) but I really loved Chuck, Hart of Dixie, Gilmore Girls, Victoria and Suits. Enjoy that time, once they start moving it gets so busy. I rarely get time to watch tv at all now and if I do it’s kiddy shows
Tayler N. says
I saw this recipe get posted and I decided I needed to make it ASAP! So that’s what I did. It was fantastic and pretty dang easy to make! This was also my first time making Fed & Fit’s paleo ‘cheese’ and let me tell you…we will be make it again. So. Good!
Amber Link says
So glad you liked it Tayler!
Samantha says
Going to make this tonight!! Can’t wait!!
Hart of Dixie is the show I binged when my little guy was actually still little!! It’s similar to Gilmore Girls in that the town plays such a huge role in the show. Those two shows are my fave so I highly recommend Hart of Dixie if you like Gilmore Girls.
Also Queer Eye just released on Netflix and it’s such an uplifting show. I cried several times watching it.
Thank you for a great recipe, can’t wait to try it out!
Julia says
A couple tips for anyone who hasn’t made this yet but plans to. I cooked the bacon first, and then used the bacon fat to saute the onions and garlic, plus the meat. Also, this is a LOT of meat! I used my largest skillet (13″), but after the meat was finished cooking I decided to reserve about half of it for another recipe. I don’t think I could have made this in my regular cast iron skillet (9″) but would love to hear if anyone else did!
Looking forward to eating this tonight and seeing how much my husband and toddler enjoy it!
Netflix recommendations: Ozark and Mindhunter. These are kind of dark but I’m into that 🙂
Alyssa says
This was so so so delicious. I’m wondering if anyone has any tips for getting their hashbrowns crispy. I can never quite do it right!
Amber Link says
Hey Alyssa! Patience is key. You really have to let the hash browns sit and cook for a while, then take a peek and see if they are browned, then flip. The other key to this is plenty of oil, and a good non-stick pan.
Bethany says
Hart Of Dixie! It’s in Netflix and you’ll love it!
I’m not a TV gal either but I watched a lot on during the first few months.
Faith says
This was SO good!! I only wish I’d made more for leftovers!
Amber Link says
So glad you liked this!
Joni says
The Crown, Hart of Dixie, Crazy ExGirlfriend and I loved the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime. Also the movie Set it Up on Netflix.
Erin says
Oh my gosh! This looks great. Thank you for always having meals that my husband and daughter are willing to eat. It makes life as a working mom so much easier!
Jennifer Lovett says
Watch imposters and wanted on netflix!
Tiffany says
SO GOOD and clean! I felt full and didn’t find myself searching for snacks after! I swapped regular potatoes for sweet potatoes!
Has anyone ever frozen the leftovers for later meals? It makes so much!
Amber Goulden says
So glad you enjoyed it Tiffany! This is a great one to freeze – just don’t include the fresh toppings like lettuce and tomatoes.
Lyndsy G says
Made this tonight with premade hashbrowns patties. Baked them and put in a 13 by 9 pan. Turned out great!
Brandi Schilhab says
Awesome! We’re glad you enjoyed it, Lyndsy!
Alisat says
This was easy and delicious, thank you!
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Allie says
So simple and so delicious!!!
Brandi Schilhab says
Yay! So glad!
Jackie says
Fantastic! I made this at the same time as the Philly Cheesesteak casserole (on this site) and it was so easy & delicious. I used shredded cheese instead of nacho cheese. Also used tater tots instead of hashbrowns, because I didn’t realize till later that I didn’t buy hashbrowns. I don’t think it would make a difference though. I cooked it exactly the same way. All the men in the house loved it and that means something in the South.
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s so great to hear, Jackie!!!