Taco Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Taco Stuffed Spagetti Squash

This meal is perfect for a busy weeknight if you use leftover taco meat, as it comes together in 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of your spaghetti squash). Most of the time it takes to make is hands off too!

We’ve talked a lot about veggie-loading our taco meat and plan to share the exact recipe for that soon, but in the meantime we wanted to share this super yummy and simple way to enjoy spaghetti squash. The great thing about adding lots of seasonal veggies to taco meat (beyond the obvious boost in nutrition!) is that it stretches your food budget and one pound of ground beef (or lamb, if you like) can go a lot further. More on that later!

Prepping spaghetti squash is pretty simple to do; in fact, the hardest thing about it is cutting it open. Make sure your squash is dry, your cutting board is not going to wiggle around, and your knife is sharp!

Taco Stuffed Spaghetti Squash is a family friendly meal and can be enjoyed multiple ways:

• serve it casserole style with tortilla chips and fixins

• use it as a filling for tacos, tostadas, burritos, quesadillas, or enchiladas

• line tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet, top chips with the spaghetti squash filling, add cheese and any toppings you like for easy nachos

• serve it atop seasonal greens for a delicious, nutritious take on taco salad

INGREDIENTS |

• 1 spaghetti squash

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

• Smoked Scape Salt, to taste

• freshly ground black pepper

• 3-4 cups leftover (cooked) taco meat

• 1 cup salsa

• your favorite toppings (here we used local medium cheddar cheese, greens, and a sprinkling of paprika)

INSTRUCTIONS |

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Remove stem from spaghetti squash, hold the squash firmly and cut open longways. Scrape out seeds with a spoon and discard. Drizzle the avocado oil on the insides of each half of squash and rub around the inside with your fingers to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Place prepared squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. Smaller spaghetti squashes generally cook in about half an hour. Check for doneness by trying to pierce through the skin with a fork. If the fork goes through pretty easily, the squash is cooked.

4. While the squash is cooking, add the leftover cooked taco meat and salsa to a large skillet. Heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until warmed.

5. Once squash is cooked and has cooled enough to handle, shred the cooked flesh into strands with a fork and add it to the skillet with the taco meat. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes until heated through.

6. At this point, you can simply serve the taco meat / spaghetti squash mixture as is with your favorite toppings or …

… spoon the filling back into the spaghetti squash shells (as pictured) or into a casserole dish, top with cheese, and warm in the oven at 350F for about 10 minutes or until melty.