Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole

Today is a day I allow myself cheese, and while I love enchilada’s, I really don’t like how corn makes me feel. BUT I WANTED ENCHILADAS!! This recipe was created out of my need for enchiladas, and one of my two days a week splurges on dairy. NOTE!! If you are doing Whole 30, leave out the cheese. The cheese makes it NON Whole 30 Compliant. Otherwise, it’s all set for my third Whole 30 this June.

Squash has always been a good gluten or grain substitute to me. I had a beautiful spaghetti squash sitting on my counter just waiting to be used. I cut and roasted it at 425 degrees, here in Colorado, roasting a squash takes a couple of hours at 400.

Meanwhile, I started the “enchilada” part of this idea.

Browned up my ground beef with 1 cut up medium onion, and about 1 clove of minced garlic. I didn’t drain the meat, I use Callicrate Beef, and it has very little fat. I had about two teaspoons of fat in my skillet, and that included the little bit of olive oil I had to add to it to fry. I recommend that if you need to drain fat from your skillet, hold back two teaspoons to add back to the pan. I feel that it makes your sauces a bit more flavorful.

Add in your tomatoes. Non nightshade eaters can use roasted beets instead of tomatoes. That is my all time favorite substitute for tomatoes.

Tomatoes added in… STEAMY!

Added in my seasoning, water, and stock. Simmered it over med heat for about 15 mins to break the tomatoes down a little bit. You can use any type of stock or broth you like. I used my home-made chicken stock in this because I had a bunch of that in my freezer. You could also use beef or vegetable stock. By the way, you can find my taco season at the bottom of my tator tot taco pie recipe. The taco seasoning mix is Whole 30 compliant, the tator tot taco pie is not. 😛

Tomatoes Cooking down… Lots of steam coming off that food!

After it cooks down, add in some fresh spinach. Ideally, I would have added more than 1 cup, but that was all I had. With my new work schedule, I am slacking on a few things, going to the grocery store is unfortunately one of them.

Still steaming away!

Cook that up for about 2 minutes, just until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Spinach wilted and tomatoes cooked down

In a 9 inch pie plate, lightly misted with olive oil, layer in half of the meat mixture.

Sprinkle on a little cheese if you use it. I am using some of my homemade goat’s milk mozzarella. Even while I allow myself to have dairy twice a week, I still limit how much of it I actually consume. That is a BIG step for me considering I am a yogurt and cheese lover.

MMM CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -.-

Layer on some of your spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti Squash, acting as the “tortilla part of this.

Complete by adding the rest of the meat mixture, remainder of your cheese, and the rest of your squash.

Pop that into your oven on a cookie sheet. Bake for 25 – 30 mins.

Fresh out of the oven!

Serve and enjoy! I am labeling this as kid friendly because it is 5-year-old and 9-year-old approved. They went back for seconds.

Plated with a Salad on the side

Print

Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole

Non-Nightshade eaters can use roasted beets instead of tomatoes. You can also omit the cheese. This dish is ONLY Whole 30 Compliant without the cheese! This can be prepared ahead and baked when desired.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large roasted spaghetti squash cooled enough to handle at least.
• 1 lb. of ground beef
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup of broth or stock I used chicken
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 tablespoons of taco meat seasoning Add more if desired
• 1 cup or more Fresh Spinach
• ½ cup of cheese of choice omit If you are doing the Whole 30, or don’t eat cheese.

Instructions

1. Roast your squash and let it cool enough to handle.
2. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, add salt and pepper to taste. If you have a lot of grease after frying, drain, holding back about two teaspoons. Re-add the two teaspoons of beef fat.
3. Add tomatoes, 1 cup of broth or stock of choice, 1/3 cup of water and up to 2 tablespoons of taco meat seasoning. (Depends on your taste, spicy or not so spicy.)
4. Simmer on stove until the tomatoes are broken down. Add the fresh spinach, and let wilt.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Mist olive oil or other choice of oil into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.
7. Layer some of the meat mixture to the bottom.
8. Add a little cheese if using.
9. Add Spaghetti Squash.
10. Finish it out by layering meat mixture, cheese if using, and ending with spaghetti squash.
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes . It will be hot and bubbly.
12. Serve as is, or add a salad and fruit with it.