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Spaghetti Squash Casserole

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My favorite season is here, which means I’ll be cooking squash-and-pumpkin everything for the next three months. I’m so excited! Squash makes me happy because it signals to fall in my mind. This spaghetti squash casserole made with ground beef is the absolute perfect way to welcome the season.

This casserole is easy to make, and if there are just two of you, it’ll feed you for days. You’ll think about freezing leftovers, but it’s so good you’ll end up wanting to eat it for every meal, breakfast, lunch, and dinner until it’s done, and when it is done, you’ll be sad about it. I know from experience.

Spaghetti squash is a versatile fruit (yes, it’s a fruit). Some say the squash’s flavor is a little bland – but I think that’s a good thing. That means you’re not limited in what you can do with this squash; it can take on the flavors of whatever other spices or sauces you are cooking with.

When you cook this type of squash, it produces slightly crunchy spaghetti-like strands that you can use in any recipe calling for noodles – for example, Chicken Spaghetti (paleo), Paleo Drunken Noodles, or Paleo Kheer (dessert)!  This squash is also a great way to sneak in fiber and make one pound of meat stretch for several meals (see my Breakfast Cups!). Can you tell that I use this squash a lot?

spaghetti squash and ground beef casserole

You can cook spaghetti squash in several different ways (check out my post on how to cook spaghetti squash). I usually cook my squash in the oven because it gives the squash more of a roasted flavor. I cut it in half (or I get Roby to do this), scoop out the seeds, and put the squash on a baking dish cut side down. Sometimes I’ll put a little oil, salt, and pepper on the halves. Then, I’ll pop it in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until I can easily glide a fork or knife into the squash (roasting time depends on the size of your squash).

Growing up in an Indian household, I’m used to food having a lot of flavors. I’m not saying I need food to be spicy, but if it’s bland, in my book, that = boring. Because spaghetti squash is bland on its own, it’s important to add aromatics to this dish.

I think you’ll really like this casserole. It’s nicely spiced, and it’ll keep you feeling full and warm this fall. Here are my 10 favorite ways to eat spaghetti squash in case you are looking for more ideas.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

5 from 11 reviews
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 1 serrano pepper minced (more if you like it spicy)
  • 5 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper adjust to taste (be sure to season well)
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 14.5 ounce can organic diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 egg whisked
  • green onion garnish

Instructions
 

To prepare squash using the oven method

  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and add a little oil, salt and pepper to cut sides.
  • Place squash cut side down in a baking dish.
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until you can easily pierce the skin with a knife (cooking time depends on the size of the squash).

To prepare meat

  • In a pan, add oil on medium heat and then add the onion, serrano pepper and a pinch of salt.
  • Once onions turns translucent, add garlic and after a couples minutes add the ground beef and spices. Continue cooking until the beef is done.

Prepare the Casserole

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine the cooked beef, spaghetti squash strands, green bell pepper and the diced tomatoes.
  • Add the whisked egg to the mixture, combine well and pour into a casserole dish.
  • Bake the casserole at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden on top.
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Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.

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Comments

  1. Sally says

    5 stars
    I made this last night. It is delicious! Love all the healthy colored foods, especially the green bell peppers. All those spices made it yummy, too, and helped since I used ground turkey instead of beef. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  2. Lorraine McCall says

    5 stars
    YUM YUM YUM. I was getting ready to use my basic prep for spaghetti squash for dinner this evening but decided to make this instead. YUM! Honey Bun loved this meal. It’s really good. Many thanks!
    Lorraine

    Reply

  4. Kim Fury-Slaten says

    Hi Ashley:) Can you please tell me the aprox. amount in cups is the squash strands for this recipe?
    Can’t wait to make it ….looks delish!
    Thank you
    Kim

    Reply

  7. Rachel says

    This was AMAZING! Made it for tonight’s dinner for a friend on Paleo. Love at first bite! No paprika or chili powder, and actually forgot the egg (whoops) but it was still out of this world. I had a vegan creamy tomato basil sauce on hand (using canned tomatoes, fresh basil, cashews) and we topped the casserole off with that. The result was like a healthy – but sooo much better than – Hamburger Helper. Total comfort food, no guilt attached! 😀 I’ll be back for more recipes! Thanks so much.

    Reply

  8. DianneInVa says

    5 stars
    I just made this. So good, and thank you I added a can of mushroom pieces, because for some reason, I had them on hand …

    Reply

  9. Amanda says

    5 stars
    Yum! This was seriously delish! My toddlers both had two helpings and my husband was surprised that it was all paleo. It was comfort food, paleo-style! I look forward to checking out more of your recipes. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this amazing recipe – it will definitely be a regular dish in our house! Thanks!

    Reply

  10. Ruth says

    5 stars
    Ashley, I love your recipes…and, perhaps more importantly, so does my family. My husband now requests food from the ‘paleo indian lady’. Sadly, I am relatively low-tech and do not own a device that would support your cookbook. Should you ever choose to produce hard copies, I will be one of the first to buy – one for myself and one for each of the cooks in my family!

    Reply

    • My Heart Beets says

      Ruth, so happy to hear that you and your family like my recipes! That’s really sweet of you to say – I’d love to come out with a published cookbook but sadly the publishers I’ve talked to don’t seem to think a Paleo Indian cookbook will sell well (not sure why at all!). Some readers have told me that they’ve printed out my ebook and that they keep the book in a binder. I know that’s an extra step for you though. Thanks again for the kind words 🙂

      Reply

  11. Bern says

    I normally hate spaghetti squash. Someone gave me one and it was on the counter for a few weeks. Since this recipe didn’t pretend it was pasta, I decided to try it. It was AMAZING!!
    The combination of spices is awesome! Definitely a keeper!!!!

    Reply

  12. Cindy Russell says

    Just made this – had more ground lamb than ground beef in the freezer so used it. Also got to use some of my remaining fresh tomatoes and green peppers in this dish. This is going to be perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner! Maybe even a late night snack. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  13. Vincent Bryant says

    This recipe is awesome. Bought a big spaghetti squash a month ago and hadn’t got around to cookin it but had been wanting to and this was the perfect recipe, thank you. I will be coming to your blog regularly now!

    Reply

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Ashlee, you can use a 9×13 dish – but really, any pan that will fit all of the ingredients will do. Since it’s mostly all pre-cooked you don’t need to worry too much about size. Let me know how this turns out for you!

      Reply

  16. Kim says

    Hi! Looking forward to making this, it looks awesome! Was wondering if you have any experience with freezing the leftovers…not sure how squash will freeze…Any insight is appreciated!

    Reply

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Kim, I haven’t tried freezing this but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Every time we eat it we gobble it up within a week (and there are only 2 of us). Let me know what you think after you try it 🙂

      Reply

  17. Laura L. says

    This is absolutely, hands down one of my favorite dishes ever!!! Will definitely be putting this on the weekly menu rotation, YUM!

    Reply

  18. Nina says

    Hi!
    I just made this, and it’s soooo good, but it was still slightly watery and didn’t have the casserole consistency once I started to serve it.
    I used the egg, and I drained the tomatoes, any idea what I did wrong?

    Reply

    • My Heart Beets says

      Nina, the water could be from the spaghetti squash. Maybe try patting it dry after it’s cooked? Or you could try adding another egg to better hold it together. It’s not going to be exactly like a casserole, sorry! Hope you still like it enough to make it again though!

      Reply

  19. heather says

    Is there any way to make this without the nightshades? Or is there a sub for the egg you think might work? I have some food issues, but otherwise this recipe looks fabulous!

    Reply

  20. Erin Honeycutt says

    Hi Ashley! I’m glad to have found your blog. I was looking for a Paleo spaghetti squash recipe to use for a huge amount of leftover squash I had. I made your casserole recipe, and it was delicious! Better yet, my kids loves it. I have been back to try other recipes too. The Naan bread is amazing, and I have the Watermelon Gazpacho on my menu this week. Thank you for being here- you are a great resource!!

    Reply

  21. Mary says

    This is the best casserole I have ever eaten. I have substituted ground turkey for the beef and it tastes just as good. I have used curry since I did not have turmeric. Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe!

    Reply

  22. Staci says

    Hi! can this be made ahead of time, put in the fridge in casserole dish, and baked at dinner time? thanks. can’t wait to try this!

    Reply

  25. Ryan Basye says

    I made this for my wife tonight using diced leftover chicken instead of the burger and 28 oz of tomatoes. We thought that it have used even more tomatoes. It is nice to find more uses for squash. Thanks for the great recipe, we are looking forward to exploring the Paleo style of cooking.

    Reply

  27. Anna says

    I use online recipes constantly, but this is the first time I have ever taken the time to comment on the outcome. WOW!! So incredibly divine! My whole family loved it and I was goddess of the kitchen for a night. My meat and potatoes husband and 4yr old twins are a tough crowd, this made everyone happy.

    Reply

  28. Christina says

    I made this tonight! I found your website through another one of your recipes from Pinterest. It was a hit! We have half of it left so it will be another meal this week. My husband even liked it who is not a fan of squash of any kind and my young children ate it 🙂 thanks for such a great recipe.

    Reply

  29. Lucia says

    I’m a bit puzzled.. after you bake the sqaush do you chop it? Or cut it into spaghetti-shaped strands? Or just mash it in? Sorry.. totally unfamiliar with this kinda thing!

    Reply

  32. Elena says

    I made this recipe twice this week! My whole family loves it and I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. They all look delish!

    Reply

    • My Heart Beets says

      Elena, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you and your family love the recipe! I’m posting a creamy pumpkin chicken casserole on Friday – if you liked this recipe then I think you’ll like that one too. Stay tuned 🙂

      Reply

  34. JeriO says

    This looks like the perfect fall meal! I’ve missed traditional “casseroles” since moving to Paleo so this could be a cool option. What’s neat about your recipe is there is room to use spices to make it Italian, Spanish, Indian, etc. Love the flexibility! Thanks for the recipe. I have a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter right now!

    Reply

  35. katrina says

    This sounds great! I was just thinking about adding more Italian style seasonings and vegetables to it for something reminiscent of baked spaghetti. But I was wondering… how do you drain crushed tomatoes? I’ve never heard of doing that before.

    Reply

    • Tricia says

      Hi Ashley, my husband and I cooked this dish last night….delicious! And so unique! We just drained the tomatoes using a colander, easy to do. Better to drain so that it’s not too much liquid. Thank you for posting this! Your blog & photos are fantastic!

      Reply
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