Cheesy Ground Beef & Broccoli Skillet
Browned ground beef and crisp-tender broccoli folded into a creamy cheddar sauce in one pan — a 30-minute dinner that portions neatly into lunches for the week.
Nutrition per serving
about 1½ cups- Net carbs
- 8.2g
- Calories
- 692kcal
- Protein
- 40g
- Fat
- 54g
- Total carbs
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 3.2 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Bacon ranch: Crumbled bacon, dill, parsley and a spoonful of sour cream give the sauce a tangy ranch flavor.
- Stir the sour cream, dill, parsley and onion powder in with the cream cheese, then fold in most of the bacon. Scatter the rest over the melted cheese.
Ground turkey: A leaner skillet with lean ground turkey; a spoonful of olive oil helps it brown.
- Heat the oil first, then brown the turkey until no pink remains and it reaches 165°F (74°C), 8–9 minutes. There's no fat to spoon off.
With cauliflower: Small cauliflower florets instead of broccoli turn it into a cheeseburger-mac-style skillet, with slightly fewer carbs.
- Steam the cauliflower covered with the water 6–7 minutes, until just tender, before adding the cheeses.
- Beef
- Broccoli & cheese sauce
- Nice to have (optional)
- Beef
- Broccoli & cheese sauce
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Beef
- Broccoli & cheese sauce
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Beef
- Broccoli & cheese sauce
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $17.08 for 4 servings ($4.27 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and no pink remains (160°F/71°C), 7–8 minutes. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
-
Add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and mustard powder for 30 seconds.
-
Add the broccoli and water, cover and steam 4–5 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender. Uncover and let any remaining water cook off.
-
Turn the heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese and cream until melted and creamy, then stir in half the cheddar.
-
Scatter the remaining cheddar over the top, cover for 2 minutes to melt (or broil 1–2 minutes if your skillet is oven-safe) and finish with green onions.
Tips for success
-
Frozen broccoli works: thaw and drain it well, then add it after the spices and cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes — it doesn't need the water. - A little mustard powder makes cheese sauces taste cheesier without tasting of mustard. Smoked paprika adds a gentle, bacon-like note.
- Keep the heat low once the cheese goes in; boiling makes cheddar grainy and oily.
Nice to have, not needed
- An oven-safe skillet lets you broil the cheese until browned — covering the pan melts it just as well.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Microwave 1½–2 minutes, stirring halfway, with a splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce.
Prep tip: Portion into four containers while warm and let them cool uncovered for 20 minutes before sealing, so condensation doesn't water down the sauce.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freezes up to 2 months, though the broccoli softens.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosBacon ranch
FlavorCrumbled bacon, dill, parsley and a spoonful of sour cream give the sauce a tangy ranch flavor.
- + 6 slices cooked bacon
- + ¼ cup sour cream
- + 1 tsp dill (dried)
- + 2 tsp parsley (dried)
- + ½ tsp onion powder
9.4 g net · 793 kcal · 46 g protein · 62 g fat · ≈$4.74 per serving (+1.2 g net carbs vs the original)
Ground turkey
ProteinA leaner skillet with lean ground turkey; a spoonful of olive oil helps it brown.
- ground beef (80/20) → ground turkey
- + 1 tbsp olive oil
8.2 g net · 542 kcal · 45 g protein · 37 g fat · ≈$3.82 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
With cauliflower
VeggiesSmall cauliflower florets instead of broccoli turn it into a cheeseburger-mac-style skillet, with slightly fewer carbs.
- broccoli florets → cauliflower
7.4 g net · 685 kcal · 40 g protein · 54 g fat · ≈$3.96 per serving (−0.8 g net carbs vs the original)
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