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Beef and Kale Casserole

February 16, 2021 Modified July 21, 2021 By Nicole 20 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links.

This Beef and Kale Casserole is hearty, healthy and delicious. It’s a great one pan meal that’s nutrient dense and comforting, AIP, paleo and Whole30 compliant.

one slice of beef and kale casserole topped with cheese sauce on a small white plate against a grey background and white wall

This post contains affiliate links.

Casseroles are some of my favorite comfort foods. This AIP Beef and Kale Casserole is no exception. It’s made using ground beef and kale and topped with a creamy cheese-like sauce.

Here are the main ingredients in this Beef and Kale Casserole:

  • ground beef (can substitute ground pork or lamb)
  • dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder
  • celery
  • kale
  • nomato sauce or coconut aminos (use for Whole30)
  • Full fat additive free coconut milk
  • tapioca or arrowroot starch
  • apple cider vinegar
  • turmeric (optional)

Here’s how to make this AIP Beef and Kale Casserole:

  • Begin by sautéing onions, garlic and celery in olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
  • Once the onions have begun to turn translucent, add the ground beef along with the dried herbs and cook until meat begins to brown.
  • Add coconut aminos or nomato sauce and stir to combine.
  • Finally, add chopped kale in batches, stirring to incorporate and wilt slightly between each addition.
  • To prepare the “cheese” sauce, combine coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, dried thyme, turmeric and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together tapioca starch and water to make a slurry. Once coconut milk mixture has reached a rolling boil, add in slurry and whisk continuously until mixture begins to thicken.
  • Place beef and kale mixture into a casserole dish and top with “cheese” sauce. Broil on high for 3-4 minutes, monitoring closely to ensure the top doesn’t burn.
white oval casserole dish with ground beef, onions, celery and kale

FAQs

Can I make this dish with another green?

Yes, substitute spinach, collard greens, rainbow chard or any other leafy green here for the kale.

Can I make this coconut free?

Unfortunately I haven’t found a substitute for the coconut milk in the “cheese” sauce but feel free to check out my Cauliflower Gratin for a delicious dairy and coconut free creamy sauce that you can swap for the “cheese” sauce here.

Can I add a starch into this?

Yes! This dish is great with sweet potatoes. If you’d like to add them in, I’d suggest 1.5 cups (finely diced). Add them into the pan just after the olive oil has heated and allow to cook 7-10 minutes. Remove from the pan to sauté beef and return with the kale.

white casserole dish with beef, kale and cheesy sauce and a spoon lifting a slice out

If you try this AIP Beef and Kale Casserole I would appreciate it if you would give it a rating and short review. Also, be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious.

If you enjoyed this casserole you might also like:

  • Sweet Potato Lasagna
  • Cauliflower Gratin
  • Swiss Chard Gratin
Print
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one slice of beef and kale casserole topped with cheese sauce on a small white plate against a grey background and white wall

Beef and Kale Casserole (AIP, paleo, Whole30)


★★★★★

5 from 12 reviews

  • Author: Nicole @healmedelicious
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
Print Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

This  Beef and Kale Casserole is hearty, healthy and delicious. It’s a great one pan meal that’s nutrient dense and comforting, AIP, paleo and Whole30 compliant. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 3 TBSP nomato sauce or coconut aminos*
  • 5–6 cups lacinato or curly kale, chopped

“Cheese” Sauce

  • 1 cup full fat, additive free coconut milk 
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • pinch of turmeric (optional – for yellow colour)
  • 2 TBSP tapioca or arrowroot starch + 1 TBSP water

Instructions

  1. Add olive oil to a large stockpot over medium heat. Once warm, add onions, garlic and celery and sauté until the onions turn translucent (4-5 minutes), stirring intermittently.
  2. Add the ground beef along with the dried basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary and cook until meat begins to brown.
  3. Add coconut aminos or nomato sauce and stir to combine.
  4. Add chopped kale in batches, stirring to incorporate and wilt slightly between each addition. Taste mixture for salt and adjust if necessary.
  5. To prepare the “cheese” sauce, combine coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, dried thyme, garlic powder, sea salt and optional turmeric in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together tapioca starch and water to make a slurry. Once coconut milk mixture has reached a rolling boil, add in slurry and whisk continuously until mixture begins to thicken.
  6. Place beef and kale mixture into an 8×8 casserole dish and top with “cheese” sauce. Broil on high for 3-4 minutes, monitoring closely to ensure the top doesn’t burn.

Notes

* use coconut aminos for Whole30 option

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Mains

Keywords: aip, paleo, whole30, casserole, beef and kale casserole, one-pan meal

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Categories: AIP, All Recipes, Dairy Free, Mains, Paleo, Whole30 Tagged With: aip casserole, beef and kale, Whole30

Previous Post: « Salted Caramel Blondies
Next Post: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Diana

    June 19, 2022 at 5:44 pm

    Five Star recipe destined to repeat

    Reply
  2. Shelley

    May 4, 2022 at 10:52 pm

    Ok this was so good!! Easy to make and so full of flavor!! It was a hit for the entire household, even the 1 year old had seconds. Thank you!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Leah

    April 7, 2022 at 8:26 pm

    This was fantastic! I’m on a crazy elimination diet and had to take out some stuff and it was STILL amazing!! I’ll be doubling the recipe next time so I have leftovers. So, so good… even the none-dieters wanted more. Bravo!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Trish

    February 13, 2022 at 3:47 pm

    This recipe really hit the spot! I love casseroles, they scream comfort food to me. I food prep on the weekends so I don’t have to cook during the week and this is going to heat up great!

    I will make 1 tweak next time and cut the salt in half because I used coconut aminos instead of nomato sauce and it is really salty.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Elisa

    February 3, 2022 at 7:58 pm

    So yummy! Very comforting recipe on a cold winter night.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Cheryl Dammeyer

    January 30, 2022 at 9:41 pm

    This was so yummy and pretty easy to make too! This will definitely be on repeat in our house!

    Reply
  7. Amanda

    January 28, 2022 at 1:14 pm

    I made this for the second time last night and added butternut squash, per the instructions in the blog for adding a starch. It was so, so good. Non-AIP husband loved it – even the sauce! Thanks for another hit, Nicole!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Andrea Roach

    October 3, 2021 at 8:27 pm

    Nicole, I loved this recipe! I had a few friends coming over so made a double batch – warned them it was my first time making it, so not to have high hopes – but they LOVED it! I served it with buttered, toasted coconut bread. This recipe taught me about thyme- now I know what flavour it gives. Have added this to my roster! Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Nicole

      October 4, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      I’m so happy to hear that Andrea! Thank you for taking the time to leave this review (and all the others), I and other readers greatly appreciate it.

      Reply
  9. Faith

    June 15, 2021 at 12:31 pm

    This was so good and so easy to make! My husband, who typically doesn’t like my AIP meals, loved this! Thank you!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Nicole

      June 16, 2021 at 6:09 am

      Thank you Faith! I’m so glad to hear it and thanks for leaving a review.

      Reply
  10. Misti

    April 6, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    This casserol is absolutely amazing! The herb combination, vegetables and sauce give it a ton of flavor. This will definitely be in my regular meal rotation!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. Linda

    March 6, 2021 at 3:22 pm

    The taste was great! I think I may have added a bit too much salt though, so my bad. I also think I did something wrong with the “cheese” sauce. I cooked until thickened but when I poured it over the beef mixture it resembled runny egg yolks. 🙁

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Leah

    March 5, 2021 at 10:26 am

    So yummy! Kids loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Tracey

    February 24, 2021 at 7:20 pm

    Looks good. Have you tried freezing and reheating?

    Reply
    • Nicole

      February 24, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      I haven’t! I’d probably freeze without the cheese though.

      Reply
  14. Kelsey

    February 24, 2021 at 4:10 pm

    Delicious!!! This is great for a meal and leftovers will be amazing for a snack or with grain free chips!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Ana

    February 18, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    Thanks for this great recipe! I made it right away and it’s delicious! 😀
    I modified it a bit to make it low FODMAP as well. Also added some nutritional yeast, it’s the first time I tried having it again, yay!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Denice

    February 16, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    I made this tonight and it was amazing!!! We ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture!!

    Reply
    • Nicole

      February 16, 2021 at 9:57 pm

      Oh awesome! I’m so glad. Thank you for leaving a review.

      Reply

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