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    Home / Recipes / Keto Casserole Recipes

    Low Carb Keto Taco Casserole Bake

    By Lisa MarcAurele · Jul 6, 2020 · 50 Comments

    69.9K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    summer squash taco casserole pinterest image
    keto taco casserole recipe

    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.

    low carb keto taco casserole pintrest image
    Article Index
    • How to make the casserole
    • Best way to prep the summer squash
    • Variations
    • Carbs in the keto taco casserole bake
    • More recipes to enjoy
    • Recipe

    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

    1. 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.
    2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain any excess grease.
    3. Add the canned tomato and seasonings to the ground beef and simmer for about 5 minutes.
    prepping the ingredients

    Assembling and baking the casserole

    1. 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.
    2. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes.
    assembling and baking the casserole

    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.

    serving the keto taco bake

    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.

    low carb taco casserole servings

    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

    taco casserole keto on plate

    Low Carb Yellow Squash Casserole with Taco Flavor

    4.44 from 23 votes
    This low carb taco casserole is an easy dish to use up a bumper crop of summer squash. This is a simple dish that can be prepared quick and easy.
    Prep Time:10 mins
    Cook Time:35 mins
    Total Time:45 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 204

    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

    Green chilis can be added to spice things up. You can sprinkle 2 to 3 sliced green chilis if desired.
    Yellow squash releases water as it cooks. Salting the squash after it's sliced and letting it sit can release the water prior to cooking. Or you can grill it first before using.

    Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 204 | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 13.2mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 1.4mg

    Additional Info

    Net Carbs: 2 g | % Carbs: 4 % | % Protein: 32.3 % | % Fat: 63.6 % | SmartPoints: 7
    Values
    Array
    (
        [serving_size] => 1
        [calories] => 204
        [carbohydrates] => 3
        [protein] => 16
        [fat] => 14
        [saturated_fat] => 7
        [monounsaturated_fat] => 2
        [cholesterol] => 55
        [sodium] => 399
        [potassium] => 187
        [fiber] => 1
        [sugar] => 2
        [vitamin_a] => 750
        [vitamin_c] => 13.2
        [calcium] => 190
        [iron] => 1.4
        [serving_unit] => slice
    )
    

    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

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      « Previous 1 2
    1. Kim

      August 23, 2022 at 2:18 pm

      Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to try.

      Reply
    2. Evie

      July 10, 2022 at 10:46 am

      Looks very goid

      Reply
    3. Gordon Lowry

      September 29, 2021 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      Yummy easy

      Reply
    4. Jeri

      July 26, 2020 at 11:45 am

      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. ????

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        July 26, 2020 at 5:55 pm

        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.

        Reply
    5. Chris Ford

      July 25, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
    6. Anita

      April 08, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      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????

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        April 09, 2020 at 5:50 am

        I'm so happy the casserole was a hit. Thanks so much for preordering the cookbook! I hope you enjoy the book recipes too.

        Reply
    7. Alex

      April 03, 2020 at 7:02 pm

      5 stars
      Your recipe was so delicious and fit perfectly into my meal prep!

      Reply
    8. Beverly

      November 14, 2019 at 11:17 pm

      Looks yummy, but approximately how many squash equal 2 cups? Or, how many ounces or grams? I need some clarity for my macros.

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        November 15, 2019 at 4:47 am

        It's about 2 medium yellow squash.

        Reply
    9. Lynda

      September 27, 2019 at 1:36 pm

      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! 🙂

      Reply
    10. Wendy

      August 20, 2019 at 3:30 pm

      Sorry for stupid question from new cook but is summer squash yellow zucchini or is there something that is actually called summer squash

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        August 21, 2019 at 9:24 am

        I've never heard it called yellow zucchini, but it is a squash similar to zucchini but yellow in color.

        Reply
    « Previous 1 2

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