(Almost 5 Ingredient) Cauliflower Rice Taco Casserole

Happy Monday! We are on the other side of yet another weekend, and suddenly it is June. How on earth did that happen?

I spent the weekend doing my best to recover form a nasty cold I came down with last week, and thankfully, am feeling much better.

I think my improved state has a lot to do with the fact that I am finally sharing this amazing recipe with ya’ll!

We take Taco Tuesday pretty seriously in our house.  It is pretty much expected that we will be eating Mexican food of some kind every.single.Tuesday. This works for me, because I really do love the cuisine,  its really easy to whip up, and I don’t have to put a whole lot of thought into “what’s for dinner?”

However, I have to admit that I have been getting a little bored with the same 2 dinner’s we’ve been having-either shredded “salsa chicken” in the Crockpot, or ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning browned quickly in a skillet. Both are DELICIOUS options (hence why they are continuously on our Taco Tuesday rotation) but I got an itch to get a little more creative.

I recently made PaleOMG’s Spaghetti Squash Casserole (which is SO good and a must make if you haven’t already, BTW) and it got me thinking of different variations I could make/come up with.

The Spaghetti Squash Casserole is made up of (almost) 5 ingredients (not counting seasonings) so I was determined to make a Mexican version with the same criteria. Around the same time, I had an idea for “Mexican Cauliflower Fried Rice” swirling around in my head, so I decided to combine the 2…and THAT is the long and drawn out story of how this (Almost) 5 Ingredient Cauliflower Rice Taco Casserole was created! 🙂

Because I am always trying to find ways to “sneak” more vegetables in our diets, I did have to cheat a little bit and add bell peppers, zucchini, and onions into the mix, but they are totally not necessary. They do add a nice pop of color though!

I also went with pre-riced cauliflower, because that made this already super simple meal about 87% easier. I highly recommend it if you can find it at your grocery store! (I get mine at Trader Joe’s.)

I included the recipe for a large batch of homemade Taco Seasoning, which I also highly recommend putting together. It will make all of your future Taco Tuesdays SO much easier. Plus, many store-bought taco seasoning packets include unnecessary things like sugar and “maltodextrin” which can be wheat, corn, or any other starchy product used as a filler. Making a large batch of your own is healthy, easy and convenient!

Anywho! This Cauliflower Rice Taco Casserole is a cinch to make, super delicious, light, low carb, paleo & Whole30, and is a great way to change up your next Taco Tuesday!

Ingredients

For the Casserole:

• 1 Lb Ground Beef
• 16 oz Cauliflower (pre-riced makes this dinner even easier and faster!)
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp taco seasoning, divided
• 1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• Optional: Chopped bell pepper, diced onion, chopped zucchini

For the large batch taco seasoning: (adapted from Iowa Girl Eats)

• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 3 Tablespoons cumin
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

Note: For future use, when cooking 1 lb ground beef, add 2 Tbsp taco seasonings. Taco Tuesday made easy!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375º
2. If making your own large batch taco seasoning, combine all ingredients in a mason jar, shake, and set aside!
3. If you don’t have pre-riced cauliflower, first chop a whole cauliflower into florets, then use the grater attachment on a food processor to make rice-like pieces.
4. If using, chop your onion, bell peppers, and/or zucchini. Add 1 Tbsp oil to a pan and saute veggies for about 3 minutes, then add ground beef. 
5. Add 1 Tbsp taco seasoning and mix in well. Cook beef until brown, then add canned tomatoes and remaining 1 Tbsp taco seasoning. Stir everything well and heat until tomato sauce begins to simmer. 
6. To save on dishes, crack the 3 eggs straight into a 9×13 baking dish. Whisk the eggs, then add in the riced cauliflower. Mix the eggs into the cauliflower until evenly dispersed. 
7. Add the meat/tomato mixture to the baking dish. Stir everything together until cauliflower and meat are evenly mixed. 
8. Place dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove when perfectly browned and toasty!

Top with green onions, guacamole, and your favorite salsa!

If you happen to have leftovers, it is just as good when turned into a breakfast scramble! Just warm up a slice in a skillet, break into small chunks, and add eggs!

However you end up eating this casserole, enjoy!

Print

(Almost 5 Ingredient) Paleo Taco Casserole

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

A super quick, easy, and delicious Paleo/Low Carb weeknight dinner!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 8

Author: Maggie @ Our Fine Day

Ingredients

For the Casserole:

• 1 Lb Ground Beef
• 16 oz Cauliflower pre-riced is great!
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp taco seasoning divided
• 1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• Optional: Chopped bell pepper, diced onion, chopped zucchini

For the large batch taco seasoning:

• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 3 Tablespoons cumin
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375º

2. If you don't have pre-riced cauliflower, first chop the whole cauliflower into florets, then use the grater attachment on a food processor to make rice-like granules.
3. If using, chop your onion, bell peppers, and/or zucchini. Add 1 Tbsp oil to a pan and saute veggies for about 3 minutes, then add ground beef.

4. Add 1 Tbsp taco seasoning and mix in well. Cook beef until brown. Add canned tomatoes and additional 1 Tbsp taco seasoning. Stir everything well and heat until tomato sauce begins to simmer.

5. To save on dishes, crack the 3 eggs straight into a 9x13 baking dish. Whisk the eggs, then add in the riced cauliflower. Mix the eggs into the cauliflower until evenly dispersed.
6. Add the meat/tomato mixture to the baking dish. Stir everything together until cauliflower and meat are evenly mixed.
7. Place dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Recipe Notes

For future use, when cooking 1 lb ground beef, add 2 Tbsp taco seasonings. Taco Tuesday made easy!