Foodie Friday: Spaghetti Squash Casserole

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A few months ago, I was introduced to this Paleo Spaghetti Squash Casserole recipe from Alysia at Slim Sanity. Immediately I thought it looked great, but I never expected to make it for dinner unless it was just for me. Nathan isn’t much of a squash fan. Or a casserole fan. So there’s that..

When I started meal planning, I brought it up to him in hopes that he’d agree to try it and what do you know, he went for it! With the awesome selection of ground meats made in-house available to us at Berkeley Bowl, my only request to him was to pick out the kind he wanted to use to make sure he’d like it [kind of like getting your kids to help.. sorry Nath ;)]. The first time we made it, we used 1/4 lb chorizo with 3/4 lb ground turkey and it turned out great! Except we made a few adjustments that I didn’t write down. So this time I made sure to write it all down and share my [un-paleoed] version of the casserole.

Un-Paleoed Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Makes 12 servings
Adapted from Slim Sanity

Ingredients
– 1 medium spaghetti squash; roasted
– 1 28oz. can San Marzano tomatoes; diced & juice reserved
– 1/2 lb ground turkey Italian
– 1/2 lb ground pork Italian
– 1 red onion; diced
– 1 red bell pepper; diced
– 4 cloves garlic; minced
– 1 cup packed spinach
– 1/4 tsp dried oregano
– 1/4 tsp dried basil
– Salt & pepper to taste
– 2 eggs; beaten
– 1 – 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar; grated
– 2 tbsp EVOO; divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice spaghetti squash in half, season with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast face down on a baking tray for 30-45 minutes, until the squash shreds easily. Shred the whole squash and set aside.

While the squash is baking, place a small pot over high heat and pour in the juice from the San Marzanos. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat, and allow the the tomato juice to reduce down to half.

Place a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil, and brown the meat. While the meat is browning, prep the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. When the meat is browned, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan and toss the onion and bell pepper into the pan. When the onions become translucent, add the diced tomato, spinach, garlic, and seasonings. Slowly start to incorporate the shredded spaghetti squash and reduced tomato juice until everything is mixed well in the pan. Taste test now for salt and pepper before you add the eggs! Finally, add in the 2 eggs and mix well.

Pour everything into a greased 9×11 pan and place in the oven. Baked uncovered for 40-45 minutes until everything has set. Remove from the oven, add the shredded cheese on top, and place under the broiler 5-10 minutes until well browned. Be sure to watch closely because the cheese can brown quickly!

Remove the casserole from the oven and allow to rest about 15 minutes until it has fully set. Slice into 12 equal squares and dig in! Because we used Italian sausage [pork and turkey], this was almost like lasagna. It was really good and definitely tastes more decadent than the numbers prove it to be!

Nutritional Information
Per square

230 Calories / 14g Fat / 11g Carbs / 2g Fiber / 5g Sugar / 15g Protein

Food for Thought

What is your favorite casserole recipe?