Spinach and Artichoke Ground Beef Casserole

This spinach and artichoke ground beef casserole is the ultimate healthy comfort food. With its rich and creamy sauce this casserole is always a crowd pleaser. It's perfect for meal prep and this recipe is also dairy free, gluten free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant.

Table of Contents

• Why you will love this recipe:
• Ingredients and substitutions:
• How to make (step-by-step):
• Top Tip:
• Recipe variations and add ins:
• How to serve:
• How to store:
• Frequently asked questions:
• Other recipes you will love:
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Why you will love this recipe:

• This healthy spinach and artichoke ground beef casserole is so delicious! It has a rich and creamy sauce that will have you coming back for seconds or even thirds!
• It's quick and easy to make and is a healthy, complete meal.
• This casserole makes great leftovers and freezes really well so it's perfect for meal prep.
• Not only is this creamy casserole so delicious, but it’s healthy, paleo, Whole30 compliant, dairy free and gluten free! But don't worry, it tastes so good that you will never be able to tell.
• You can prepare this casserole the day before to make your meal prep even easier. 

Ingredients and substitutions:

You should be able to find all of these simple ingredients at your local grocery store. For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Lean ground beef: I went with ground beef in this dairy free casserole because its flavour and texture work perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. I prefer to use grass fed and grass finished ground beef but you can use any type of ground beef that you prefer. You could also use ground turkey instead. 
• Raw cashews: raw cashews are a great alternative to heavy cream or milk for making rich and creamy dairy-free sauces. Be sure to use raw cashews and not roasted cashews for this casserole recipe.
• Coconut milk: paired with the raw cashews, coconut milk is the perfect addition to give the sauce the perfect thick and creamy texture. I recommend using full fat coconut milk and not low fat coconut milk which is more watery.
• Avocado oil: to help give this casserole that perfect creamy texture. You could swap this for olive oil too.
• Fresh lemon juice: to give the sauce some acidity and balance out the flavour profile.
• Onion: onion helps add even more flavour to this paleo casserole. You can use white onion, yellow onion or sweet onion.
• Garlic cloves: to deliver a deep, well rounded aroma and flavour to the dish. If you don't tolerate fresh garlic you can use a bit of garlic infused olive oil instead.
• Nutritional yeast: a great dairy free option for achieving a cheesy texture in recipes, without using any cheese!
• Canned artichoke hearts: the star of the show! Artichokes have a unique flavour and when combined with spinach make for the most delicious casserole with an amazing texture.
• Spinach: spinach and artichoke is an iconic duo! They make a beautiful pair, especially when topped with the luscious cream sauce. You can use either fresh spinach or frozen spinach for making this gluten-free casserole.
• Seasonings and spices: sea salt and ground black pepper are the only spices you need for this casserole.

How to make (step-by-step):

Step one:

First you will preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step two:

Next you will place a large pan or large skillet on the stove on medium heat. Then add the oil and ground beef and cook the beef until it's browned, stirring frequently to break it apart. Once the beef is cooked, transfer it to a 9" x 13" baking dish and set it aside.

Step three:

While the beef is cooking, make the cream sauce by placing the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blending until they are smooth. Then set the sauce aside.

Step four:

Using the same pan that you did to cook the beef, add the oil and chopped onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes until it's translucent.

Step five:

Add the chopped artichoke hearts and spinach to the pan with the cooked onion. Cook these until the spinach is wilted or no longer frozen.

Step six:

Add the sauce to the pan with the veggies and stir everything well to combine.

Step seven:

Transfer the sauce to the casserole dish with the cooked ground beef and stir everything together to combine. Bake uncovered in the oven for 10-15 minutes and then enjoy!

Recipe variations and add ins:

• You can easily add more vegetables to this recipe, I recommend mushrooms or green beans. 
• If you want to make a meatless casserole, simply omit the ground beef or add more vegetables.
• If you prefer a casserole with noodles, stir in some cooked noodles to the dish before heating it in the oven. If you are gluten free just be sure to use gluten-free pasta noodles.
• You could also substitute the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken. 

How to serve:

This casserole is delicious served as is but you could serve it over cooked noodles or rice to make the dish even more filling and turn it into more of a classic casserole.

If you are on a paleo diet serve this casserole over cooked cassava noodles, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, other vegetable noodles, or cauliflower rice.

If you are on a Whole30 diet, serve it over cooked spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or other vegetable noodles.

How to store:

Store any leftover casserole in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

This casserole also freezes really well for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions:

Other recipes you will love:

• Gluten Free Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli
• Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken and Spinach
• Chicken Meatloaf
• Pan Fried Oyster Mushrooms
• Bacon and Vegetable Egg Casserole
• Whole30 Stuffed Peppers

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