Spaghetti Squash Casserole
"This is sort of a non-pasta version of lasagna with a lot of vegetables. Quite yummy and healthy at the same time."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Serves:
-
6-8
ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 12 ounces bulk Italian sausage
- 1 1⁄2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced (red or green)
- 1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (4 1/2 ounce) can chopped black olives
- 1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (23 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 1⁄2 cups pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
directions
- With a 2 pronged fork, pierce squash all the way through to the center cavity to provide steam vent holes.
- Place squash in microwave, vent holes on the top, and bake at full power until squash is tender crisp (not squishy soft) when tested with a 2 pronged fork.
- Note: the time for me is usually 10-15 minutes, but it will vary with the size of your squash and the power/ size of your microwave.
- Remove from microwave and let squash cooll until comfortable to handle.
- Cut squash in half lengthways and gently scoop out and discard the seeds and the little strings that attach them, using a large spoon.
- Now, using a dinner fork, flake out the "spaghetti strands" of squash into a bowl.
- In a large skillet, sautee sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and garlic until the sausage is no longer pink, stirring to break up sausage.
- Note: If your sausage is in links, slit the casing and squeeze out the sausage so you can chunk it.
- Drain off any fat.
- In an appropriately sized greased baking dish, layer half the squash, sausage mixture, black olives, seasonings, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
- Continue layering with the second half of ingredients, withholding the final cheese until the last 5 minutes of baking so it only melts, not bakes crispy brown.
- Note: At this point, the casserole can be covered in foil (with final cheese in a zipper bag) and frozen for future use.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until completely hot throughout.
- Remember to add the final cheese in the last 5 minutes and to allow extra thaw/ bake time if frozen.
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Reviews
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This recipe is DELICIOUS! It was easy to make too, which is a bonus.<br/>I only have two comments/suggestions.<br/>1. I started out with a regular casserole dish (11x9) but when I started to layer the first half of the squash, it seemed too big. So I moved down to a 9x9 dish. This was *almost* too small, and some of the juice dribbled over the top of the pan and into the oven. I still think the 11x9 would be too big. Next time I will try to find a deeper 9x9.<br/>2. Squash is very juicy, and the juice cooks out. This ended up making quite a lot of liquid. When you cut a couple of squares of lasagna out of the pan, there is a good bit of "broth" left over. Next time I make this recipe (and I WILL be making this again!) I may try placing the squash "noodles" into a strainer for an hour or more to drip some of the liquid out before layering it into the casserole dish. Or maybe I will squeeze them in some cheesecloth.<br/>Other than that, this was an easy and delicious recipe. Definitely a keeper. -
This is a very nice recipe for using spaghetti squash. I used ground beef instead of sausage and since it is the end of the season for my basil and oregano, I used fresh herbs. Very tasty and will definitely make this again. -
We love spaghetti squash & are always looking for great recipes with it. This one definately makes the cut. We made this for the kids (& 1 fussy girlfriend) & it went over well. I agree it tasted like lasagna without the noodles. I added in more ground beef & did the rest as written. Easy to put together, thanks for sharing.
Tweaks
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This is a very nice recipe for using spaghetti squash. I used ground beef instead of sausage and since it is the end of the season for my basil and oregano, I used fresh herbs. Very tasty and will definitely make this again.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I am the mother of 6 (only 5 of whom I birthed), and the grandmother of 10. Since my children were born in ’70, ’73, ’80, ’85, and ’90, I have always had kids in different stages of life; so my life has never been boring. I homeschooled the youngest 3 for 15 years(which I really really enjoyed), but my youngest daughter is now going to the University of Hawaii. The next oldest daughter is a theater manager and English teacher in Seattle. Our 4 sons are are all merried, living in West Virginia, Nevada, and Oregan and are the parents of all our grandchildren .I did the Cub Scout leader a long time ago; then the Girl Scout leader and like that a lot better. I also love to garden and to cook. I started cooking in grade school, was fixing dinner every night as my “family chore” by the time I was in junior high, and have been enjoying it ever since. I think when you enjoy cooking, it is contagious. My married sons both share some of the cooking with their wives; my college daughter has enjoyed putting on Sunday Suppers in her dorm. Reading is also a favorite pastime, but my “reading” is done via books on tape since I am legally blind. I love Zarr because it allows me access to so many recipes, as well as the benefit of others’ experiences (thanks to modern technology and a specialty computer software program designed for the blind and visually impaired. My husband (DH is an understated term) and I are involved in our church choir together, enjoy traveling, visiting friends around the country, and taking our grandchildren and Girl Scouts camping.
