Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Low Carb, High Protein)
Servings: 8
Calories: 264kcal
Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole is an easy, low carb pasta-like dish that the whole family will love! Tender spaghetti squash strands combined with lean ground beef, marinara sauce and multiple cheeses to create a bubbly, cheesy marinara spaghetti bake! This dish is great for meal prep and can be enjoyed all week!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
- 5-6 cups shredded spaghetti squash (750g) *DRAINED & loosely packed
- 1.5 Tbsp Tony's Creole seasoning separated, or other seasoning
- 8 oz. light cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese (117g)
- 24 oz. marinara sauce I love Rao’s
- 3/4 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese (84g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13" dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook beef over medium heat. Season with 1/2 Tablespoon of creole seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the beef as it cooks until no longer pink, then remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, cottage cheese, and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of creole seasoning. Using a hand mixer, blend until everything is combined.
- Add the marinara sauce and stir until it has mixed in thoroughly.
- Then, add in the beef and spaghetti squash (make sure you drain the water from them first!); fold to combine.
- Transfer the spaghetti squash mixture to the baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
*Spaghetti squash: make sure not to overcook your spaghetti squash (we want it al dente!) and to drain any excess water before mixing it with this recipe. Otherwise the dish will be more watery once you take it out of the oven.
How To Cook Spaghetti Squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds from the center of both halves. Place halves of squash flesh side down in a 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Let cool, then use a fork to pull out strands of the flesh.
See this post for three different ways to cook a spaghetti squash.
To make dairy-free: use dairy-free cream cheese and sub cottage cheese for extra dairy-free cream cheese or dairy-free Greek yogurt. To make vegetarian: omit ground beef or sub with your favorite plant-based alternative or roasted veggies, like eggplant, bell peppers, onions, spinach, etc.
To make dairy-free: use dairy-free cream cheese and sub cottage cheese for extra dairy-free cream cheese or dairy-free Greek yogurt. To make vegetarian: omit ground beef or sub with your favorite plant-based alternative or roasted veggies, like eggplant, bell peppers, onions, spinach, etc.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of dish (286g) | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.8g | Protein: 19.8g | Fat: 15.3g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 6.5g