For What It's Worth


Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Karen’s Adventures in Cooking: Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Bowls






I love spaghetti squash but most recipes treat it as regular spaghetti and add some type of tomato sauce and veggies, which I got sick of.

So when I saw this Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Bowls recipe on skinnytaste.com – I knew I had to give it a try.

0201161602It was Delicious! And so adaptable! I already have several variations that I want to try.

First you cut and scoop out a spaghetti squash: (you can roast the seeds if you want – although I didn’t think there were enough to make it worth while in this case)

Brush cut sides with olive oil then set the halves in a baking pan and roast at 400F for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your squash.

0201161608After you you shred the squash with a fork – you’ll get spaghetti like strands and you can proceed to the fun part – filling the halves up!

Skinnytaste only used sauce and cheese but I wanted something hardier, so I added black beans, sauteed red peppers and spinach.Add the sauce, top with cheese and pop in the oven for another 15 minutes until the cheese melts.

The recipe called for a red/tomato based enchilada sauce (she includes a recipe for her homemade version) but I gave Fontina brand tomatillo enchilada sauce a try. I’ve always liked their taco sauces. It was really tasty, mildly spicy with a hint of lime. Good choice!



The finished product!


Empty spaghetti squash shells – I’d say this was a success!



*Notes: The only thing I would do differently is that I would remove the shredded squash and mix it with the filling in a bowl – then refill the squash halves and top with sauce and cheese. I think it would have distributed the flavors better instead of getting a mouthful of sauce – then filling, then squash… Otherwise this is a keeper and the filling combinations are endless. I kept it vegetarian but you could add meat. I was thinking pizza spaghetti squash next.

21 comments:

  1. Oh interesting! I don't know if I would like this or not, but it LOOKS good. I think my parents would love it though.

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    1. Most of the Spaghetti Squash recipes I've seen just use the squash as the pasta and then top with whatever you normally use. This was a nice change of pace.

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  2. Sooo, next time we all meet up in NYC, we'll just find a kitchen so you can cook us yummy foods? ;) This sounds delicious!

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    1. I'm actually a disaster int he kitchen lol I make such a mess and only about 30-40% of it comes out right! But I'm all for eating!

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  3. OMG. OMG. This look so GLORIOUS IN ITS DELICIOUSNESS!! I'm super anxious to try it although I may have to skip out on the enchilada sauce since I'm watching what I eat and all that. Thanks for sharing this and giving me some ideas lovely! <3

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    1. That's one of the reasons I used the tomatillo sauce instead. It's not cream based like the red sauce.

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  4. Looks like a vegetable that I would eat!!

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  5. Squash intimidates me. I just don't know what to do with it. I NEED AN ADULT! The sauce sounds lovely though!

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    1. Don't fear the squash lol

      When in doubt - cut it and roast it. That's my motto for almost any veggie. ha!

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  6. God... this sounds so good. I can see why you would want to scrape first and then add everything back. Makes so much sense.

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    1. When you layer it - it just becomes an overflowing heap lol

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  7. That looks soooo good! I want to make this!

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  8. I love SQ! I grow them every Spring and they give lots of fruits til late Summer. The challenge is keeping them squash bugs from getting to them first.

    I will try this recipe, I've tried a similar recipe and it's so filling and satisfying. The fiber helps and I don't feel as guilty indulging in this.

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  9. Yes, that's all we seem to see of spaghetti squash recipes! Love it but you need something new to give it a new spin. I'll definitely pass this recipe on to my mom, we both love spaghetti squash! :)

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  10. I think I would modify as you recommended. I love squash.

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  11. oh I can't get enough of Squash....so trying this.

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  12. LOL Karen! This is one of my food posts for next month. I saw it on the SkinnyTaste FB page too and had an OMG must! moment. I got all the ingredients at the store yesterday and was planning it for tomorrow. How funny!

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  13. Hey, two 5Ks in one month - walking or otherwise - is an awesome feat! Congrats! Every time I come to your site, I get hungry. Those shells are a great idea :D

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