Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bake

Now that the holidays are over, I suppose it's time to get back to healthy eating. I'm doing the Special K challenge for the next two weeks, so I needed something substantial for dinner to get me through it! This recipe is very versatile - I used ground chicken and black beans, but both can easily be substituted (turkey, beef, tofu, kidney beans, etc). I also used store bought taco seasoning out of pure laziness, but a homemade one would be excellent as well!

Typically with spaghetti squash, I roast it on a Sunday night and combine it with all my other ingredients in a casserole dish. On my first night of eating it, I bake it off in the oven, Going forward, I just microwave for about 3 minutes, or until it's hot.

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bake







Ingredients (serves 4):

1 large spaghetti squash, cooked (instructions below)

1lb ground chicken

1 15.5oz can black beans, drained

1 bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 cup salsa

1 Cup cheddar cheese

Oil

S+P+Garlic Powder

1 packet of Taco Seasoning

Spaghetti Squash Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400º. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle on olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes or until you can easily slide a fork in. When it's cooked and cooled, use a fork to create "noodles."

Other Instructions:

In a large pasta pot, heat 1 tbl of oil over medium high heat. Add the ground meat and crumble as you cook (about 8 minutes). Add the taco seasoning (and water if it's one of those packets), turn the heat down to low, and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the meat and save about 1 tbl of the liquid in the pot. Turn heat back to medium high and add onions, peppers, and garlic. Sautee for about 6 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add in the black beans, salsa (I used Market Basket brand), ground chicken, and spaghetti. Combine and let cook on low for another 3 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes.

I topped mine with sour cream and scallions! Other delicious toppings would be avocado or guacamole, fresh cilantro, or hot sauce.

Enjoy :)

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories: 460cal

Fat: 23g

Cholesterol: 124mg

Sodium: 546mg

Carbohydrates: 33g

Protein: 37g