Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese

Baked spaghetti squash and cheese! Get it? Like baked mac’ and cheese, except with spaghetti squash (and some spinach)! Y’all, I’m so easily amused. Anyway, this dish is creamy, filling, and light…but it does NOT taste that way! It is super creamy and an excellent side dish for just about anything. I served it with grilled chicken, but fish, pork, or steak would all be great options. I am not exaggerating when I say this may be my new favorite side dish!

If you’re gluten free or trying to cut back on pasta, this is the perfect substitute for cheese-y noodles. My husband is not a fan of spaghetti squash but he loved this dish! If you’re on the fence about spaghetti squash, I feel confident that this dish will win you over.

To prepare, I baked my spaghetti squash in the oven at 400F for about 1 hour. I have an entire post on the various ways to cook spaghetti squash and why it’s so awesome. Click here to check it out! Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, you saute some chopped onion in half a tablespoon of butter. Yes, real butter, but only a half a tablespoon! It will give your sauce a slight buttery flavor (even my husband picked up on it!). Whisk in your flour, milk, chicken broth, and continue whisking away until it starts thickening up. Melt in the cheese and add the spaghetti squash noodles, fresh spinach leaves, plus some salt and pepper for flavor. Once it’s all incorporated it is ready to go back in the oven for about 30 minutes until everything is melted and delicious!

This dish is not very complicated to prepare, but the only con is that it does take a little while if you have to account for the spaghetti squash cooking. Aside from the 1 hour the spaghetti squash cooked in the oven, it probably took me about 15 minutes to get the sauce together before the final 30 minutes of baking. I have to tell you, though, it was definitely worth it!

Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 small spaghetti squash
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped finely
• 2 tbsp flour (use 1 tbsp corn starch for gf)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth (vegetable broth for vegetarian)
• 4 oz 2% reduced fat mild cheddar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups (about 2 oz) baby spinach
• 1 tbsp grated parmesan for topping (optionl)

1). Pierce the spaghetti squash with a knife and bake at 400F for about 1 hour. (Alternate cooking methods can be found here.)

2). Remove the squash from oven, cut in half, spoon out seeds and use a fork to remove the “noodles.” Reduce the oven temperature to 375F.

3). Meanwhile, chop up the onion. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened.

4). Reduce heat to medium-low and add the flour, whisking about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth, raising the heat to medium-high until the mixture begins to boil and thicken.

5). Remove from heat and add cheese, spaghetti squash noodles, spinach, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well until fully incorporated. Pour into a lightly greased baking sheet and top with grated parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Servings: 4-5 1 cup servings, depending on the size of your spaghetti squash.

Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 165 Carbs: 16g Fat: 8g Protein: 10g Fiber: 2g Points+: 5

Recipe adapted from skinnytaste.com.