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Home » Recipes » Main Courses

Broccoli Cauliflower Ground Beef Casserole

Updated: Apr 24, 2024 · Published: Jan 28, 2023 by Nicole B. · Leave a Comment

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
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This broccoli cauliflower ground beef casserole has it all: flavorful beef, three different vegetables, a creamy, spicy sauce and a crispy, melty, cheesy topping. The recipe was inspired by the flavors of this cream cheese ground beef dip that is spiced with smoked hot paprika and Louisiana hot sauce.

Broccoli cauliflower ground beef casserole with salad on a table.

Ingredient notes:

  • This casserole recipe has three different vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli and potato. Rather than going through the trouble of preparing raw potatoes, you use store-bought shredded hash browns from the freezer section of the grocery store.
  • I recommend Louisiana hot sauce for this recipe. It's got great flavor and a nice tanginess that really makes the creamy sauce for this casserole pop.

How to make it:

See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!

Cooked ground beef in a pan.
  1. Cook and season beef.
Steamed broccoli and cauliflower in a pot.
  1. Steam broccoli and cauliflower.
Shredded hash browns on a baking sheet.
  1. Pre-bake frozen hash browns.
Whipped casserole filling in a mixing bowl.
  1. Whip cream cheese with sour cream, egg, heavy cream and hot sauce.
Ground beef broccoli casserole filling in a bowl.
  1. Add beef, vegetables and cheddar to a large mixing bowl.
Unbaked ground beef broccoli casserole in a baking dish.
  1. Pour in the sauce and mix well. Fill into a casserole pan, top with more cheddar and bake.

How to serve it:

Serve the casserole hot either by itself or with a green salad.

Full Recipe

Broccoli cauliflower ground beef casserole with salad on a table.
Author: Nicole B.

Broccoli Cauliflower Ground Beef Casserole

This broccoli cauliflower ground beef casserole is spicy, creamy, cheesy and delicious.
Print Version (does not include images) Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Course: Main
Cuisine: World
Calories: 798
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients:
  

For the beef:
  • ½ tablespoon mild olive oil
  • ⅓ cup minced white or yellow onion (you should need a little less than ½ of a small onion for that)
  • ¾ pound lean ground beef
  • ⅜ teaspoon onion powder
  • ⅜ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon smoked hot paprika
  • ⅜ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the broccoli and the cauliflower:
  • 4 ounces small broccoli florets (about 2 cups)
  • 5 ounces small cauliflower florets (about 1 ¾ cups)
For the hash browns:
  • 2 cups frozen shredded hash browns (about 5 ½ ounces)
For the sauce:
  • 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese,* softened
  • ½ cup full-fat sour cream*
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 ½ tablespoons hot sauce, such as Louisiana hot sauce
  • 1 ¼ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided into ¾ cup and ½ cup

Equipment:

  • measuring cups and spoons
  • knife and cutting board
  • cheese grater
  • pot
  • steamer basket
  • skillet
  • rubber spatula
  • baking sheet
  • medium-sized mixing bowl
  • standing mixer or electric mixer
  • large mixing bowl
  • baking dish (8 inch by 8 inch by 2 ¼ inch)
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Method:
 

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. and start heating a pot with water and a steamer basket in it. Meanwhile, cook the beef.
Cook the beef:
  1. Heat the oil in a skillet until shimmering.
    ½ tablespoon mild olive oil
  2. Add onion and cook until starting to soften (about 2 minutes).
    ⅓ cup minced white or yellow onion
  3. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink (about 6 minutes).
    ¾ pound lean ground beef
  4. Pour off all grease, then stir onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper into the cooked beef. Set aside.
    ⅜ teaspoon onion powder, ⅜ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon smoked hot paprika, ⅜ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Steam broccoli and cauliflower:
  1. Once the water in the pot is hot, steam broccoli and cauliflower florets to desired doneness. Set aside.
    4 ounces small broccoli florets (about 2 cups), 5 ounces small cauliflower florets (about 1 ¾ cups)
Pre-bake the hash browns:
  1. Once the oven is preheated, spread the frozen hash browns out on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until hot and just starting to brown on the edges (about 12 minutes). Stir around once halfway through the baking time. Keep the oven running at 400 degrees F.
    2 cups frozen shredded hash browns (about 5 ½ ounces)
Make the sauce:
  1. Add cream cheese and sour cream to a bowl and whip with an electric mixer until combined.
    8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese,* softened, ½ cup full-fat sour cream*
  2. Whip in the egg, then the cream, then the hot sauce. Set aside.
    1 large egg, 6 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 ½ tablespoons hot sauce, such as Louisiana hot sauce
Prepare the casserole:
  1. Add beef, broccoli, cauliflower, hash browns and ¾ cups of the cheddar to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Pour in the sauce and mix well. Transfer to a baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese on top is fully melted (25 to 30 minutes). Let cool for a few minutes, then serve.

Recipe notes:

*Be sure to use full-fat products for this recipe. Reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream have a higher moisture content than full-fat and that can keep them from melting properly during the baking process.
Storage instructions: Store leftovers casserole either in the baking dish covered with plastic wrap or in any other airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
How to freeze: Let the casserole cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze. Let thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F.
Did you make this recipe?Please consider leaving a review- THANK YOU!

Nutrition (estimate only):

Calories: 798kcalCarbohydrates: 23.1gProtein: 44.6gFat: 59.1gSaturated Fat: 32.2gCholesterol: 260mgSodium: 996mgPotassium: 979mgFiber: 3.4gSugar: 3gCalcium: 387mgIron: 18mg

More creamy, meaty broccoli recipes:

  • This no-tomato pasta sauce with ground beef is spiced with smoked paprika and chili powder.
  • This sausage soup recipe is easy to make in one pot.

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I'm Nicole and this is my website. Here you'll find flavorful recipes that center around spices.

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