Cheesy and delicious Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole makes the perfect weeknight dinner that is low carb, super filling with tons of leftovers!
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Happy (almost) Friday y’all!
Ok so I am absolutely loving spaghetti squash right now. It really is one of the most versatile vegetables to cook with and is the perfect substitute for pasta! You may be thinking “yeah right,” but it’s true. Hey I love pasta as much as the next person, but if I can find a healthier swap {with less carbs!} that tastes just as great I’m all for it. Baked spaghetti squash pulls apart so easily resembling angel hair pasta and the best part is it has little to no taste so it goes great with any dish. You may remember my recipe for spaghetti squash boats with spicy sausage that I shared a few weeks ago. Well they have been requested SO many times by my {picky} husband that I desperately needed to change things up!
You all are going to seriously LOVE this baked spaghetti squash casserole with meat sauce! Are you a vegetarian or not a fan of beef? Leave it out because this homemade marinara is absolutely delicious all on its own. Confession: I literally couldn’t stop shoving heaping spoonfuls straight to my face “taste testing” this meat sauce, it was just THAT good and when layered with spaghetti squash, cheese and topped with fresh basil this lightened-up dish makes the perfect dinner for all those hungry men, or kiddos, in your life!
OH and it’s a great way to sneak in those veggies!
This was a huge hit in our house and made a ton of great leftovers for lunches the next day. It was also super easy to throw together too! You just need to give yourself enough time to bake the spaghetti squash before shredding which takes about 45 minutes. What I like to do is prep this a day or two before (I usually do this on Sundays – you know I love my meal prep!) and do all the steps up until topping with cheese. Then just cover, throw the casserole in your fridge and when you’re ready to bake it, top the whole thing with cheese, cover and bake for 30 minutes.
BOOM dinner done in no time!
Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! I’m loving that Fall weather has officially decided to make an appearance as opposed to being 85 degrees in October so I’m looking forward to making the most of this weekend, especially since last week I was sick with the flu. Let me know if there are any dishes you’d like to see lightened-up or any other recipes ideas you might have – just comment below! I love getting inspiration from you all and I, of course, loving hearing from you!
Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 ripe spaghetti squash
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef, 95% lean
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 packet Stevia
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 Tbsp basil, chopped (divided)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- To make the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cut squash right down the middle. Scoop out all the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil so they don’t stick.
- Bake squash in the oven for 45 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, drizzle oil into a large pan over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, Stevia, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer until the spaghetti squash has finished baking.
- When your squash is about ready, stir in grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons fresh basil in with the sauce; continue to simmer.
- Remove squash from the oven and scrape out all the strands of spaghetti using a fork, placing into a large bowl for convenience.
- In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spoon 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce into bottom and spread out evenly. Layer with 1/2 of the spaghetti squash then 1 1/2 cups more of meat sauce, then the rest of the spaghetti squash, the rest of the meat sauce (1 1/2 cups) and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake spaghetti squash casserole in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake and additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Top with remaining tablespoon of basil, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Soo soo good!!! Ate it last night for dinner and again today for lunch. It might even be better the next day. I think the fresh basil makes the sauce. Tastes amazing! I also threw some fresh spinach into the sauce just to add a bit more veggies. So good! Will for sure be making this one again. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed this Melody! I agree, the fresh basil really makes this dish! 🙂
I added some balsamic vinegar to the sauce near the end of its cooking time, and it took it to a 10 for me! So good! I also used my Instant Pot to cook the spaghetti squash, and that was a huge time saver. I sliced it into rings, and I think it only took about 4 min on manual. I’ve also made the meat and sauce in the IP, and that sped up the process tremendously without sacrificing any depth of flavor.Thanks for one of our favorite recipes!!!
Hi! I’ve never used spaghetti squash for anything before, I’m wondering if this is a recipe that would work well if I made it ahead of time and baked later
Yes you could certainly do this, although spaghetti squash tends to get watery after the strands have been pulled. I would suggest baking the squash ahead of time, scrape out the strands and tightly wrap everything with plastic wrap to avoid them from getting watery. Then you can also make your sauce ahead of time (while the squash is baking) so when you’re ready you can throw the casserole together 🙂 Just an idea so you can avoid a watery casserole!
I found this tasty but too watery. Next time I will leave out chicken broth and drain the spaghetti squash. But the taste is wonderful.
What an amazing meal! Thank you for this recipe! My family loved it!!!
Looks good, I am going to try this recipe. I have to point out though, that I do not think the serving size should be listed as a 1/2 cup. That would maybe be a serving size for a preschooler! Not a typical adult.
So is it One whole spaghetti squash total?
Two small ones or one large one! 🙂
You have get ideas, I’m looking for Ketogenic recipes, your spinach and quinoa and as well as your spag. squash are great! do you have more like those?
Can you microwave the spaghetti squash instead of baking for the first half of the recipe?C
Yes you can! Just put the squash cut sides down in a microwave-safe dish and fill the dish with a little water, about an inch. Microwave on high for about 12 minutes until tender and can be pierced with a fork – then just shred! 🙂
Trying this tonight–on the new Smart Points this recipe registers at 4 points for a SIXTH of the pan! (Instead of a tenth.) I can’t wait!