3-Cheese Spaghetti Squash Casserole Bake

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash?  It might sound crazy to you to even try it.  I thought the same thing when I tried it at first.  And, honestly, I DID NOT like it.  The first time I tried it I microwaved it and actually threw it in the trash.  But, since that time over 7 years ago, I have given it another try or two or three or four and have finally come to LIKE it!!!

But, I usually just roast it and serve it with sauce and meatballs.  I have tried different recipes with it and haven't found any I have liked as much - UNTIL NOW!!!!!  Found this recipe in an issue of the Clean Eating Magazine and altered it a little bit.  Let's just say it was SOOOO yummy, I could have eaten the entire dish, thank goodness for my 21 Day Fix container to keep me on track.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

3-Cheese Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium Spaghetti Squash, halved lengthwise with seeds removed
2 tsp. Olive Oil, divided
10oz. Mushrooms, sliced
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
1 large Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and diced
Garlic Powder (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
1-2cp. Spinach leaves (I added this and only added 1cp. of spinach and wished I would have added more)
25 Grape Tomatoes, halved (I added this and would add more next time)
6oz. Pepper Jack Cheese - grated or shredded
2oz. Mozzerella Cheese - grated or shredded
1/2 cp. Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1 1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prick the halved and seeded spaghetti squash with a fork all over.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish cut sides down and add 1/2 inch water.  Bake for 1 hour.  Then let cool a bit to be able to touch.

2.  In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp. oil on medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.  Add in the last 1 tsp. olive oil, onion, jalapeno and garlic clove or garlic powder.  Saute until the onion is translucent (about 5 more minutes).  Then stir in the spinach and tomatoes if desired and cook until the spinach begins to wilt down.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

3.  With a fork scrape the insides of the squash into a large bowl.  Add in the mushroom mixture, cheese, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Spread in a casserole dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs if desired.  Bake for 25 more minutes until bubbly.

*When I ate this, I measured out 1 1/2 containers of this in my green container and counted it as 2 green containers and 1 blue container.  I omitted the bread crumbs as I am not a fan of  bread crumbs on casserole dishes.
*  I also served this with some meatballs on the side for a proteinAND a piece of whole grain garlic bread.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Feel free to leave some feedback if you try this recipe or any other recipe I have posted.

Thanks for stopping by and check back again for more recipes.

~Sarah Strubhar
Independent Team Beachbody 
Ruby Coach