Before I started lowering my carb intake, spaghetti was a staple in our house. At least once a week, I would brown a pound of ground beef or sausage, add a can of sauce and more spices (they never add enough garlic!), boil some pasta and, viola!, dinner was ready!! This isn’t something you can do on a low carb diet.
I, like many before me, tried spaghetti squash as a replacement for the pasta. The best approach I found was to microwave or steam it, shred the pulp with a fork and fry it in a bit of butter and oil, then top it with the meat sauce and some shredded Parmesan. That’s still a great option and one I choose frequently, but I love this slow cooker approach even more. It’s the option I choose when I remember to start the slow cooker.
Spaghetti Squash Slow Cooker Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can 28oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 lbs browned ground sausage or meatballs
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- If using ground beef or sausage, brown it in a skillet on high heat
- Rinse squash and pat dry
- Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the squash in half crosswise
- Using a spoon, scrape centers of the squash to remove seeds
- Add squash, cut side down, to a casserole-style slow cooker
- Check to ensure the lid will close; if not cut squash pieces in half again
- Around the squash, add sausage; if using meatballs cut in half or quarters
- Add the remaining ingredients to slow cooker
- Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours
- Turn off cooker and carefully remove cooked squash with heavy tongs or/or pot holders and let cool for a few minutes
- See note below about final broiling
- Using a spatula, carefully scrape the slow cooker to dislodge any meat from the bottom
- Using a fork, comb the squash pulp out of the skins - allowing it to shred into spaghetti-looking
- Add shredded squash back into the slow cooker and carefully fold into the sauce and meat
- Fold 1/2 cup of both cheeses into the spaghetti
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top
- Final Broiling (optional, reference note below): Broil on high (with oven door open) for 3-5 minutes or until Parmesan has bubbled and began to brown slightly - if using grated Parmesan from the jar, you'll get a bit of snap-crackle-pop from it
Notes
- Green leaf salad with Italian dressing
- Garlic-Parmesan Bites