Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

We always have a plethora of spaghetti squash from our garden each year. The kids and husband quickly get sick of it but it’s so healthy and SO easy to grow!! The nice thing about spaghetti squash is it lasts for an entire year if you can keep it in a cool, dry, dark place making it perfect “food storage” for all you preppers 🙂 Anyway, I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate it into our meals. We all love Mexican food so I thought, why not make some spaghetti squash burrito bowls!!

Vegan or vegetarian substitutions

The recipe below can be made with meat & cheese or easily made vegan by using tofu & vegan cheese! We don’t normally eat vegan/vegetarian but I had a big pack of tofu from Costco so I’ve been on a tofu kick lately. We didn’t add any cheese though so it turned out vegan this time 😉

What’s for dinner?

When everyone asked what was for dinner I could barely keep it together though. Remember, they are all sick of spaghetti squash at this point and they are not the biggest tofu fans. Trying REALLY hard not to laugh I replied with “Tofu Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls” and they all looked at me like I was crazy… but they all came back for seconds so I think it was a success!!

Preheat oven 400*F

Ingredients:

• 2 spaghetti squash
• 1 lb ground meat (or 1 pack extra firm tofu for vegan alternative!)
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa (delicious recipe here)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lime (1 Tbsp)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (vegan cheddar alternative)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Pickled jalapenos, sliced
• Avocado, diced
• Cilantro
• Sour cream (vegan sour cream alternative)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly grease a baking sheet then place the squash cut side down. With a fork, poke some holes in the tops of the squash. Roast for about 30-40 minutes or until fork tender. (See Tips & Tricks below for microwave instructions)
2. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, brown the ground meat (or tofu) then add the peppers and sauté for about a minute. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through.
3. Let the squash cool upright until you can hold it without burning your hands. Gently run a fork through the flesh to yield the “spaghetti” strands. Careful to not break the spaghetti squash “bowls.”
4. Mix the meat mixture with the spaghetti squash noodles then pile it back into the spaghetti squash “bowls” and top with shredded cheese (optional). Return to the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese melts and the burrito bowl tops are golden brown.
5. Serve with your choice of toppings, enjoy!

Tips & Tricks: If you want to cut down the prep time, rather than baking the squash you can microwave it!! Place the halved, seeded and poked squash in a microwavable baking dish, cut side down with 1/4 cup of water in the bottom of the dish. Cover and cook on high for 10-15 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork.

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Looking for more recipes to use up all those garden squash? Here are a few of our favorites…