These cheesy spaghetti squash boats made a perfect weeknight meal for the whole family. I always forget how easy it is to whip this dish together and its so healthy and filling for all my boys! We always serve with a side of regular pasta or baguette for the boys too! Fall is here, so naturally spaghetti squash goes hand in hand for the season. For our topping we use a quick meat sauce that works perfectly. If your looking for a quick weeknight meal than look no further because this recipe is great for the season and you and yours!
What you need to make cheesy spaghetti squash boats + substitutions:
- Spaghetti squash– The spaghetti squash is such a fun little change up from your typical spaghetti. We love spaghetti here, but variety and seasonal is always nice.
- Ground beef- We used ground beef but feel free to use turkey as well! We love to buy the organic grass-fed ground beef from Whole Foods when it’s on sale! Aldi also has a great deal on organic grass-fed ground beef. We also buy organic ground beef from Costco, but use whatever you prefer to use for this spaghetti squash meal.
- Rao’s marinara sauce- Best store-bought marinara sauce hands down. We buy the big jars from Costco, which is the best price I’ve seen. The sauce is so worth it. It makes every meal with red sauce taste even better! If I don’t use all the sauce and I know I won’t be using it for awhile, I always freeze it in 1/2 cup or 1 cup portions in my Souper Cubes. They are the BEST for freezing. You can use the code daddioskitchen10 for 10% off!
- Mozzarella cheese- We topped these spaghetti squash boats with mozzarella and it was perfect. Mozzarella cheese is an Italian cheese which is perfect for melting and baking. We did shredded mozzarella, but you can definitely use fresh or any cheese you prefer for these cheesy spaghetti squash boats.
- Fresh basil- The basil gives a nice touch of green and flavor!
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Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Boats
These cheesy spaghetti squash boats made a perfect weeknight meal for the whole family. I always forget how easy it is to whip this dish together and its so healthy and filling for all my boys! We always serve with a side of regular pasta or baguette for the boys too! Fall is here, so naturally spaghetti squash goes hand in hand for the season. For our topping we use a quick meat sauce that works perfectly. If your looking for a quick weeknight meal than look no further because this recipe is great for the season and you and yours!
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 spaghetti squash cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½-1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 12 oz marinara sauce we love Rao's
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F degrees.
- Cut your spaghetti squash lengthwise. Season with about 1 tbsp olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.
- Bake in the oven for 40-60 minutes (depending on the size) until softened and tender. You know it's ready when you use a fork to scrape it and it looks like spaghetti.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with about 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add your ground beef.
- Break up your beef a little and add all the seasonings, salt, and pepper. Cook until your meat is mostly cooked through.
- Add in the marinara sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Add a couple spoonfuls of the meat sauce to each spaghetti squash half until they're filled.
- Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and warm in the oven at 400F degrees until the cheese is melted. About 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Notes
For Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can scoop the insides of the spaghetti squash out to fit it into a container.