This easy keto taco casserole sneaks in healthy squash along with ground beef, melted cheese, and delicious taco flavor! Plus it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and is ready in 5 simple steps.
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Casserole dishes are a favorite in our household. They’re easy to make and always so satisfying.
I was in the mood for a taco casserole, but I didn’t want to use tortillas. It’s hard to find gluten-free ones at the store, and I didn’t have time to make a batch of my coconut flour tortillas or almond flour tortillas.
A lot of people use zucchini in place of noodles in casseroles. So, I thought why not use yellow squash in place of tortillas for a keto taco casserole. Sounds reasonable, right?
Turns out, it was a great idea! This low carb yellow squash casserole is a winner. I’m putting it down as a regular on my low carb menu.
This tasty dish only takes about 10 minutes to prep and another 25 to bake. So you can be sitting down to a tasty dinner in under 40 minutes!
And with the tasty melted cheese, ground beef, and taco seasoning, even your kids will scarf it down. It’s a great way to sneak some veggies into a hearty meal. My kids love spaghetti squash lasagna too!
The next time you’re in the mood for a low carb taco casserole that doesn’t require tortillas, give this easy keto taco bake a try!
How to make the casserole
Would you believe me if I told you that this keto squash casserole recipe comes together in five easy steps? It’s truly so easy!
Preparing the ingredients
- Thinly slice the summer squash, then pan-grill to remove excess moisture. The pan-grilling step is optional, but it helps prevent a soggy casserole.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain any excess grease.
- Add the canned tomato and seasonings to the ground beef and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Assembling and baking the casserole
- Place the sliced squash in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Layer the ground beef over the squash, then sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes.
That’s it! This taco casserole is so easy to make, it’s perfect for whipping up on a busy weeknight.
If you have any leftovers, you can store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Best way to prep the summer squash
I mentioned that pan grilling your summer squash to remove excess moisture is optional. Every squash is going to have slightly different water content, so it’s really a judgement call.
The other option is to lightly salt both sides of the summer squash slices and let them sit for about 30 minutes. This will draw out the water.
Once you see droplets, you can simply wipe them away with a towel.
You have the option to entirely skip these steps. However, if your casserole turns out a bit soggy, the moisture in your squash is probably to blame.
Variations
To keep this taco casserole keto, I wanted to use summer squash in place of tortillas.
This was mostly because I had a large crop of summer squash from my garden that I needed to use. If you can’t find summer squash, zucchini will work just as well! You’ll cook it the exact same way.
The same thing goes for the cheese. I used cheddar simply because I usually have some in the refrigerator. A Mexican cheese blend or even pepperjack would work very well for this recipe.
For an extra kick, try adding 2 or 3 freshly chopped green chilis to the ground beef and tomato mixture. If you want something a bit milder, a can of diced green chilis could be used as well.
You can also dress up this casserole however you like. After the bake, feel free to add toppings like sour cream, black olives, green onions, avocado, or even more cheese!
Carbs in the keto taco casserole bake
This recipe makes about for 10 servings. Therefore, it’s a great dish to feed a crowd!
At that size, each serving will contain 3 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber. That means there are only 2 net carbs per serving. Not too bad for a hearty casserole!
Also, each slice is only about 200 calories. This leaves you plenty of room to add your favorite toppings or to help yourself to seconds.
More recipes to enjoy
Looking for more easy, delicious keto casseroles that can feed a crowd? Check out a few of these favorites:
- Green Pepper Casserole has all the flavorful ingredients of this classic comfort food combined into one low carb dish!
- Low Carb Mexican Chicken Casserole uses pre-made tortillas, southwest flavors, and plenty of cheese.
- Keto Mexican Casserole includes a tasty mashed potato like topping that the whole family will enjoy.
- Chicken Divan Keto Casserole is a chicken and broccoli dish with a delicious parmesan cheese sauce.
- Low Carb Squash Casserole includes flavorful sausage and melty cheese for another tasty way to use up your summer squash!
- Chicken Asparagus Bake mixes in a creamy cheese curry sauce that tastes amazing.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
Recipe
Low Carb Yellow Squash Casserole with Taco Flavor
Ingredients
- 2 cups summer squash thinly sliced
- 14 oz canned diced tomato
- 1 pound ground beef cooked and drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add canned tomato and seasonings to cooked meat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Place the sliced squash at the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Place meat mixture on top of squash, sprinkle grated cheese on top.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First Published: August 5, 2010... Last Updated: April 3, 2020
stacy mitchael
MADE FOR FIRST TIME TONIGHT...AND YUMMY WHOLE FAMILY EVEN ONES THAT DONT LIKE SQUASH LOVED IT
Kim
Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to try.
Evie
Looks very goid
Gordon Lowry
Yummy easy
Jeri
I was wondering how it would change the carb content if I make this using the base from your low carb pizza casserole for this instead of the summer squash. Any idea? I guess I can enter all the ingredients in an app counter. I am not a squash fan. ????
Lisa MarcAurele
You can definitely sub out the squash with low-carb pizza crust or tortillas. There's a free recipe analyzer on MyFitnessPal you could try. Most keto diet apps also have a calculator.
Chris Ford
I made this tonight with my abundance of garden summer squash. I’m not following keto, so I added some tortilla strips on top for some crunch. I had 2 helpings. I thought it was just spicy enough ( I used tomatoes with green chili’s), but a little saltier than I like to cook. That might have been due to the fact that I salted the squash to reduce the moisture before cooking, rather than grill them. It was a good addition to my garden squash recipes. If you have kids who don’t care for spicy, just leave out the cayenne and/or reduce the chili powder and cumin. But I think kids would like this casserole, especially if you add some tortilla chips on their portions.
Anita
My family and I absolutely loved the casserole! It was my 1st time making a low carb casserole. All the spices blended well with the squash. We topped it w/salsa and sour cream. It was absolutely wonderful!
Ms Lisa I preorder your cookbook, I haven't gotten it yet. And I'm so excited and can't wait to get it! Thank you for sharing your love of cooking????
Lisa MarcAurele
I'm so happy the casserole was a hit. Thanks so much for preordering the cookbook! I hope you enjoy the book recipes too.
Alex
Your recipe was so delicious and fit perfectly into my meal prep!
Beverly
Looks yummy, but approximately how many squash equal 2 cups? Or, how many ounces or grams? I need some clarity for my macros.
Lisa MarcAurele
It's about 2 medium yellow squash.
Lynda
I tried this last night without cayenne pepper and added sour cream, black olives, and green onions, also sprinkled a little cheddar on top after it was done, and oh, my my my, even my hubby LOVED it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Wendy
Sorry for stupid question from new cook but is summer squash yellow zucchini or is there something that is actually called summer squash
Lisa MarcAurele
I've never heard it called yellow zucchini, but it is a squash similar to zucchini but yellow in color.
Terri
I tried to layer it, it made it too wet. I also used fresh squash and fresh tomatos. The taste was very good though.
Heather
A good way to keep the squash from making the casserole watery is to pan grill the squash slices for a few minutes prior to building the casserole.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing that tip!
Joy Clark
This was very tasty! I added diced onion, and a banana pepper. The casserole was a little soupy , but I can’t think of how to prevent that. Next time I think I’ll dice the squash, rather than slicing it.
Lisa MarcAurele
You could add in a little xanthan gum or glucomannan to thicken any liquid if needed.
Kelly
Delicious! I used fajita seasoning mix and it turned out great! My whole family loved it, including two toddlers.
Lisa MarcAurele
Yay! I love it when the kids enjoy the dishes too.
Tamara
I didn't have canned tomatoes so I used a bit of salsa and a small can of chipotles in adobo sauce instead. Mixed in a big dollop of Greek yogurt too, to calm the heat of the chiles. Also used ground pork instead of beef. Pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was with these substitutions! This is a very adaptable recipe.
Lisa
Thanks for sharing your modifications! Sounds great.
Shannon
We modified this a little. Used a hamburger and sausage combo and added some wild rice. It was very good.
Lisa
Thanks for sharing your mod. Sounds great for those not concerned with the extra carbs from the rice.
Debbie
Thanks for the recipe Lisa!! Yummy and easy, a great combo! Will definitely make this again. I used lean ground turkey and added a can of mild chopped green chilies. I tilted the pan while cooling and dabbed off the liquid that drained from the squash.
Randy
We loved it , full of flavor, I added about 5 green onions and a few cloves of garlic.
Valerie
Does the squash need to be boiled before we can slice it?
Lisa
I add the squash slices raw.
Mary Kasper
So yummy ... and quick and easy. I did not have all the spices on hand but did have a pkg of McCormicks taco seasoning. I used half a package with great results. The sour cream was also a great idea. Thank you!!!
Nancy Rice
Could you use a taco seasoning mix instead of the individual spices?
Lisa
You can! I just like to use a home blend because most of the taco mixes contain unnecessary starches.
KIm B.
Made this tonight and I must say it was so, so good!
Lisa
Thanks for giving it a try!
Alison
Made this tonight. My husband and friend raved over how tasty it was. I did tweak it just a bit in what sounded yummy to me to add to it. I sauteed some mushrooms to add to the meat mixture. I added a layer of Greek pepperocini's on top of the meat before topping with cheese. Finally, I added sliced olives on top of the cheese before baking. Wonderful, simple, yummy dinner.
Thank you for the recipe!!
Lisa
Thanks for sharing your tweaks Alison! Sounds really yummy with the mushrooms and pepperocini.
Virginia
I made this a couple weeks ago, and I'm making it again tonight. I'm doing LCHF and I think this will be a regular. I added a little green onion & served it with a dollop of sour cream. It's really good, thanks for the recipe!
Lisa
Sour cream is yummy with tacos. And the green onions is great for flavor and color. Love those adds!
Stacey
I made this and took it to work. It was DELICIOUS, not a drop left in the pan.
Lisa
I'm so glad you and your coworkers enjoyed it! 🙂
Susan
This is awesome! I rate this an eleven! My family loves this and wants me to make it again!
Lisa
Always a winner when the family asks for a repeat! I'll be making this one once our garden squash come in.
Jennifer
Very good!!! I give it 5 stars. ?
Lisa
So glad you liked it Jennifer!
Edith
Could you make it without the cheese? I can't have anything fermented.
Lisa
You can leave the cheese out.
SM
Summer Squash Taco Casserole : this was wonderful! So healthy and yummy! I rate it 5 stars.
Lisa
Thanks so much! So glad it was a winner for you!
Emma
Hi! Looks great. Can it be frozen?
Lisa
The squash may get mushy if frozen. If you're okay with that, go for it!