Nutrition: 541 Calories | 17.1g Net Carbs | 36.2g Protein | 33.3g Total Fat
An easy casserole with layers of spaghetti squash, meat sauce and creamy cheeses. Topped with melted cheese, this is a comforting meal for the whole family.
In my cupboard I have two very special cookbooks filled with family recipes. And, they are filled with family photos too. So, every time I open one of them, I get to take a walk down memory lane. The first volume was put together by my grandma and the second by my mom. Spaghetti squash casserole is a variation of my aunt’s recipe found in volume one of the family cookbook. My aunt would make it when we visited, and my mom made it a lot when we were growing up. The original recipe calls for cooked spaghetti noodles, which I’ve switched out for baked spaghetti squash. Baked Spaghetti Squash is super easy and delicious.
Make a Meat Sauce
Spaghetti squash casserole is all about layers, kind of like lasagna. First, start by making meat sauce. In a pan, sauté chopped onions in olive oil until they soften. Then, add ground beef to the pan. Break up the ground beef and brown it up. Stir the ground beef occasionally as it cooks, mixing it in with the sautéed onions. Once the ground beef crumbles are all cooked, season the mixture with garlic powder and dried Italian seasoning.
Here’s a quick video showing you how to finely chop an onion. This is the method I use for chopping all my onions.
To speed up the prep time on this recipe, add a jar of your favorite pasta sauce and a can of tomato paste to the pan. You can also make homemade pasta sauce too. Spaghetti squash casserole taste great both ways, so it’s all up to you. Let the meat sauce simmer on low for at least 20 minutes.
Prepare the Creamy Cheese Layer
The next layer of the casserole is filled with cheesy creamy goodness. In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried Italian seasoning. Stir everything together until it’s evenly mixed and smooth. You can also use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese, whichever you have in your refrigerator.
Layer the Casserole
Now that your creamy cheese mixture is ready, it’s time to start layering the casserole. Start by spraying a 9″ x 13″ dish with non-stick spray. Add half of the cooked spaghetti squash to the pan. Smooth it out into an even layer. Then, add half of the cream cheese mixture. Smooth this out on top of the squash. Repeat this process with the remaining squash and cheese mixture so that you have two layers of each.
As soon as the meat sauce is done simmering, carefully layer it on top of the second cheese layer. Finally, top the casserole with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. At this point, you can immediately bake the casserole at 350° for 30 minutes until bubbly around the edges. If you’re preparing the casserole in the morning to serve later in the day, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator. Let the casserole come to room temperature before baking, or add about 10 minutes to the baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator. Lastly, you can freeze the spaghetti squash casserole. It freezes great. Bake from frozen for 55-65 minutes.
You might also like these recipes: Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash, Spaghetti Squash Carbonara, and Creamy Garlic Chicken and Zoodles.
Simple Layered Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Ground Beef
An easy casserole with layers of spaghetti squash, meat sauce and creamy cheeses. Topped with melted cheese, this is a comforting meal for the whole family.
Total Time: 60 min
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 – 4 Cups Cooked Spaghetti Squash (About 3 lb Squash, Recipe Here)
- 1 Medium Onion, Chopped
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder, Divided
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, Divided
- 24 oz Spaghetti Sauce
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
- 2 Cups Cottage Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Heat a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil and chopped onion.
- Sauté the onions until they soften. Then, add the ground beef to the pan. Brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once the ground beef has browned, season with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Mix the onions and beef with the seasonings, then add the spaghetti sauce and tomato paste to the pan. Mix everything together and let the meat sauce simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the meat sauce is simmering, make the cheese mixture. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream with 1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Mix until creamy and throughly combined.
- Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with non-stick spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with half of the cooked spaghetti squash. Layer half the cheese mixture on top of the squash. Repeat with the remaining squash and cheese mixture. Top the last cheese layer with meat sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
- You can refrigerate the layered casserole and bake later. Let the casserole come to room temperature before baking or add about 10 more minutes to the bake time. Spaghetti squash casserole also freezes very well. Bake from frozen for 55-65 minutes.
Nutrition:
Yield: 8 servings, Serving Size: about 1 1/2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 541, Total Fat: 33.3g, Saturated Fat: 16.4g, Cholesterol: 127.9mg, Sodium: 858.8mg, Carbohydrates: 21.4g, Fiber 4.3g, Sugars: 11.4g, Protein 36.2g
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