Introduction to Keto Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
If you love philly cheesesteak sandwiches, you are going to love our Keto Philly Cheesesteak Casserole. This ground beef-based casserole is peppery, meaty, and super cheesy!
Why Beef Instead of Steak?
If you’re a lover of the traditional philly cheesesteak sandwich, you probably know it uses thinly sliced steak, not beef. However, when making this recipe, we decided it would be best to use ground beef for its quick cook time and juicy texture. Steak can tend to dry out, especially if you are cooking it and then baking it afterwards. Ground beef, on the other hand, cooks really well and stores well because it will reheat and be just as juicy.
Can I Use Steak?
If you don’t want to use ground beef in this philly cheesesteak casserole recipe, you can use steak slices. Be aware that it can dry out though, so do not overcook it ahead of time. The steps are virtually the same for steak or beef; just make sure the steak is browned but not cooked fully. When the steak and bell peppers go into the oven, they will continue to cook and then be perfect once pulled out. Finally, if you are reheating this recipe, you are best off reheating on low in a skillet or slowly in the microwave to prevent overcooking the steak and making it tough.
Carb Counts for Bells Peppers and Onions
This philly cheesesteak casserole recipe only has 6 net carbs per serving, mainly coming from the peppers and onions. Onions and red bell peppers have natural sugars which caramelize and sweeten when cooking. This increases your meal’s carb count while making it taste extra delicious. Red bell peppers (4 net carbs per 100g) are sweeter than low-carb green peppers (3 net carbs per 100g). So, if you are trying to limit carbs, you may want to fill the casserole dish with more green than red peppers. We also went heavy on the onions because we love the caramelized flavor they bring, but they do have 8 net carbs per 100 grams, so you may want to limit them if you are eating low-carb.
How to Serve Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
Our philly cheese steak casserole is loaded with delicious low-carb fillings and flavors. Since it was originally a sandwich, this philly cheesesteak casserole is basically a deconstructed meal. If you want to reconstruct a sandwich, you can do that too! Some keto-friendly serving options are:
- Lettuce Cups – The most traditional low-carb route is a lettuce wrap. It’s high in fiber, low carb, and 100% keto-friendly.
- Keto Bread – Below we have even more keto bread options, but for now, you can never go wrong with a couple toasted slices.
- In a Bowl – Grab out a spoon and dish up your ground beef and bell pepper casserole as is!
- In Crispy Provolone Cheese Cups – Crisp slices of provolone cheese in a greased silicone muffin pan at 350 for delicious philly cheesesteak casserole cups.
Keto Bread Options
Like we said above, just because you’re keto doesn’t mean you can’t have bread! Our website has tons of low-carb bread recipes that make the perfect serving vessels for this philly cheesesteak casserole. If you make this recipe, try serving a cheesesteak sandwich made of:
- Easy Keto bread Slices – Our most popular recipe is by far this traditional loaf of keto bread. It’s filling, buttery, and sturdy to hold up to all your favorite fillings.
- Cheesy Keto Garlic Bread – Cheesy keto garlic bread is a great pairing for the provolone cheese on this philly cheesesteak casserole. Plus, the garlic bread is made loaf style, so you can slice off your perfect piece.
- Keto Mug Bread (90-second bread) – This bread recipe is meant for those who only want to take a few short seconds to whip up a sandwich. Simply microwave and slice to have an easy dinner option.
- Coconut Flour Bread – Coconut flour bread is the perfect bread choice for those with a nut allergy. It’s low-carb and keto-friendly while also being nut allergy conscious.
- Soft and Fluffy Keto Rolls – Our keto rolls are soft and fluffy, perfect for piling on philly cheesesteak casserole or just eating it alongside your ground beef main.
- Keto Hamburger Buns – Like a sloppy joe style sandwich with a burger bun? Our keto hamburger buns are the perfect vessel for this philly cheesesteak casserole’s beef mixture.
Can I Pre-Make This Philly Cheesesteak Casserole Recipe?
We all love a good casserole! This philly cheesesteak casserole is packed with flavor, but is also so easy to make and prep ahead of time. If you want to prep this recipe ahead of time, go ahead. It saves you a ton of time in the future, and the regular casserole prep time is only 10 minutes. There are a few options to go about prepping our cheesesteak casserole recipe.
Prep and Store
To simply prep and store the recipe in your fridge, follow all the steps as per the instructions. You can choose to bake the cheese on top or just top with cheese and wait to reheat on the day you plan to eat it. Simply allow the cooked ground beef inside the casserole to cool, then top with aluminum and store in the fridge.
Freezing and Storing
To freeze the casserole, bake as normal with the topped provolone cheese and allow to fully cool. Leave it in the casserole dish, then wrap it with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Place it into the freezer and then freeze until solid. Before reheating, allow the casserole to fully defrost in the fridge, then bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the center is hot.
Reheating Your Casserole
The best way to reheat any casserole is to cook it in the oven. It bakes more evenly and leaves a moist ground beef casserole, unlike the microwave, which can dry out meat. Simply turn the oven to 350 and allow the defrosted casserole to bake for 20-30 minutes, or until it is thoroughly heated throughout. If you choose to freeze the casserole, you can slice it into pre-portioned pieces and then freeze in ziplock bags for easy microwave reheating.
How to Make Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
To make this delicious casserole, follow these steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the beef.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Drop the heat to medium, add the onions and bell peppers, and cook for another 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are cooked, and the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the seasonings and cream cheese and stir until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a stoneware baking dish (we used 12.5” x 9.5”).
- Arrange the cheese slices on top and bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden around the edges.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting into and serving.
- Serve on its own or on lettuce cups.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
- Calories: 466
- Calories from Fat: 315
- Fat: 35g (54% of the Daily Value (DV))
- Saturated Fat: 16g (80% DV)
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 116mg (39% DV)
- Sodium: 964mg (40% DV)
- Potassium: 538mg (15% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 8g (3% DV)
- Fiber: 2g (8% DV)
- Sugar: 4g (4% DV)
- Protein: 29g (58% DV)
- Vitamin A: 1633IU (33% DV)
- Vitamin C: 64mg (78% DV)
- Calcium: 265mg (27% DV)
- Iron: 3mg (17% DV)
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
