Spaghetti Squash Bake

About

I love this Keto Spaghetti Squash bake because it makes the most delicious, prep ahead Low Carb dinner recipe! Roasted spaghetti squash is folded into diced zucchini, diced white onions, garlicky browned ground beef, homemade tomato sauce with plenty of parmesan cheese. You will love this healthy weeknight meal that is great for packing into lunches and reheats nicely.

What kind of ground beef should I use?

Please use a higher fat percentage beef like ground chuck that is 80% lean to 20% fat. I find this type of beef adds nice fat to the casserole for flavor and adds satiety.

How do I know the spaghetti squash is cooked?

The spaghetti squash should yield gentle pressure when ready, but also shouldn’t be too soft that the spaghetti squash has lost all texture. Some texture is nice because it will endure the final cooking round where it will finish cooking.

How can I add more fat to this dish?

Please feel free to serve this dish with avocados on the side or saute the beef with more fat to suit your individual dietary needs.

Serving suggestions

Please serve this with an excellent Keto salad like Keto Spinach and Pecan Salad

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb spaghetti squash
• 1 teaspoon salt, sea salt
• 2 ¼ lb hamburger or ground beef, 80% lean
• 2 teaspoon salt, sea salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 clove garlic
• 14 oz tomato, canned
• 1 teaspoon salt, sea salt
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• ¾ cup, shredded parmesan cheese, fresh (hard)
• 4 cup, shredded queso chihuahua (chihuahua cheese)

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 F. While the oven is heating, cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Season the flesh with 1 tsp sea salt and then flip them cut side down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the flesh is soft, but the squash is still slightly crunchy (it will continue to cook in the final step). Once they remove the spaghetti squash from the oven, turn the heat down to 350 F.
2. While the squash is cooking, add the raw ground beef to a medium-sized nonstick skillet and place over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to begin breaking up the meat. Season it with two teaspoons of sea salt and half a teaspoon of garlic powder. Continue to cook the beef, occasionally stirring until the meat is browned. This will take about 10-12 minutes total.
3. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, wait until the pain starts to get hot (but not too hot because olive oil has a lower smoke point). Add the olive oil to the pan. Then add the garlic cloves which have been smashed. Cook the garlic for about 30 seconds while stirring, being careful not to brown the garlic.
4. Immediately add a can of diced tomatoes, sea salt, and Italian seasoning. Taste and adjust, adding more sea salt as necessary (some cans of tomatoes are very sweet or sour and need extra seasoning). Allow the tomatoes to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spaghetti squash, diced zucchini, white onion, tomato sauce, ground beef, and parmesan cheese. Mix well with a wooden spoon—taste adding more salt as desired.
6. Pour the casserole into a 9” x 13” casserole dish.
7. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is browned and the casserole is heated throughout. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings: 12
• Calories: 422.3kcal/1766.7kJ (per serving)
• Fat: 28.6g (per serving)
• Carbs: 7.6g (per serving)
• Protein: 32.9g (per serving)