Bacon Burger Cauliflower Rice Casserole

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 3 cups cauliflower riced
• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
• 8 ounces tomato sauce or puree
• 2 cups packed baby spinach**
• 1 large sweet onion**
• 1 tbl fat of choice (bacon fat, ghee, butter)**
• 1 medium tomato or 2 roma/plum tomatoes sliced
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp celery seed
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup grated cheese *optional omit for paleo

Instructions

1. Peel the onion, cut in half and thin slice the entire onion.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon fat of your choice in saute pan over med-med high heat
3. Cook onions until translucent
4. Reduce heat to low - med low and slow cook onions until caramelized to a deep brown without burning (approximately 20-30 minutes on low)
5. In a food processor or blender, grind cauliflower florets into a rice texture.  You want 3 cups riced.  Set aside.
6. Preheat Oven to 400 F, and lightly grease or oil a 2.5 quart casserole dish.
7. In a large skillet pan over medium high combine and brown:  ground beef, garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, celery seed, and black pepper. Stir and cook until browned (do not drain beef).
8. Add tomato sauce and cauliflower rice to the ground beef skillet. Stir and continue cooking over medium to medium high heat for 3 minutes. 
9. Add caramelized onions and spinach.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until spinach wilts. Remove from heat.
10. Carefully spoon all ingredients from the skillet into the casserole dish. Spread around casserole dish evenly.
11. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with bacon crumbles and optional cheese. Place sliced tomatoes on top, and bake for 20 mins. Remove from oven and serve.

My personal preference for extra lean ground beef is a brand called Maverick (grass fed) which only has 130 calories in 4 ounces and is 95% lean.  The bacon I used was thin sliced (Publix Brand) and only 60 calories per piece.  The cheese I used was shredded off the block extra sharp cheddar (Publix Brand).  By my count the calories for all this was 379 calories per serving.

**Options:  Don't like spinach - omit and serve over shredded lettuce.  Don't want caramelized onions - dice up 1/2 sweet onion and cook with the ground beef.  Use your choice of cheese just like you would on your burger.  The options are endless and you can change up or add more veggies of your personal choice.