MEXICAN SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE >> high volume & super filling!
Sep 09, 2020
Mexican Spaghetti Squash Casserole is a delicious and easy way to make use of an abundance of spaghetti squash available in the late summer.
I was gifted five spaghetti squash this week. While I love using it my classic "Buffalo Chicken 'Spaghetti' Bake" I wanted to try something new!
I've made a version of this recipe before but finally took the time to measure the ingredients and share the details on the blog. I baked the casserole right in the spaghetti squash skin for easy clean up and presentation but you could remove the spaghetti squash, mix it with the filling, and bake it in a casserole dish if you prefer!
This casserole is gluten-free for those who need it and is super filing and satisfying thanks to the spaghetti squash. Spaghetti Squash is a 'high volume' food. "Volume foods" are those foods with few calories per serving but take a lot of physical space on your plate and in your stomach! When you eat them, they press against the walls of your stomach making you feel pleasantly full.
As an example, a 100 calorie serving of cooked spaghetti squash is 3 cups whereas a 100 calorie serving of pasta is 1/2 cup. This isn't to say that spaghetti squash is superior but rather to visualize how high volume vegetables (like spaghetti squash!) contribute to feeling fuller!
While spaghetti squash will fill you up, it won't keep you full for long. In order to feel satisfied you'll need enough carbohydrate to energize your brain and muscles and enough fat and protein to signal the release of hunger-satisfying hormones that tell your brain you are satisfied.
This recipe has the perfect balance of carbohydrates, fat, and protein with ground beef (for protein), cheese (for fats!), and black beans and corn (for fibre-filled carb). The combination of ingredients lends to well-balanced meal that will leave you full and satisfied.
If you'd like to learn more about planning meals to feel full and satisfied while also feeling, looking, and performing your best then you might be interested in our 4 Week Transformation program. We not only teach you the habits to reach your health goals but give you specific recipes, sample menus, and meal planning tactics to make healthy living stress-free!
MEXICAN SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE
* Search "Vitality Nutrition - Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bake" in MyFitnessPal to log this recipe in your food diary.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium (1200g) spaghetti squash
- 1 teaspoon (5g) olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1/4 cup (60mL) water
- 1 (150g), onion, diced
- 1/4 finely minced jalepeno or canned jalepeno
- 1 pound of extra lean ground beef*
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
- 1 (150g) bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup (250mL) canned corn, rinsed
- 1 cup (250mL) canned black beans, rinsed
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar
- Optional toppings: sour cream or plain Skyr yogurt, salsa, and green onion
OPTIONS:
* You can use any ground meat like ground chicken or turkey to replace the ground beef.
DIRECTIONS
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut your spaghetti squash in half length wise and remove the seeds. Sprinkle the spaghetti squash with salt.
- Place the spaghetti squash skin side down and bake for 30 minutes. It's ok if the spaghetti squash is slightly under baked as it will bake a second time with the ground beef mixture!
- Remove from the oven after 30 minutes and use a fork to gently remove the spaghetti squash from the skin. This will make it easier to eat later on! Leave the spaghetti squash in the skin as the skin will act as a bowl!
FILLING
- Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven or pot on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and let cook.
- Then add the chilli powder, cumin, and salt. Add splashes of water and stir continuously. Heating the spices alongside the oil and hot water will help release the flavour from the spices!
- Add the onion and jalepeno to the spice mixture and cook until the onion is translucent.
- Add the beef to the pot and cook until no longer pink.
- Add the bell pepper to the mixture and let it cook down before adding the corn and black beans. Stir to combine.
ASSEMBLY
- Fill the spaghetti squash boats with the ground beef filling.
- Top the filling with grated cheese. I added 1/2 cup total but you can add more if you'd like it cheesier!
- Bake at 350 until the cheese melts!
SERVING
I like serving the casserole with a dollop of plain Skyr yogurt (it's tangy like sour cream), salsa, and green onion!
I WANNA KNOW!
Did you try this recipe? Comment below! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!
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