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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Dreamy "Mac & Cheese" Spaghetti Squash (Single Serving)

 
Okay. Let me start off by saying I know this is kind-of similar to the Cheesy Tomato and Spaghetti Squash Bake I just posted about a few days ago. The thing is...it's not the same.
This one is so creamy and cheesy and mind-blowingly delicious.
Don't get me wrong.....the Cheesy Tomato and Spaghetti Squash Bake was tasty and I will totally be making it again BUT... this one....
There are no words.
It's like discovering chocolate and peanut butter for the first time.
No.
I'm not even kidding.
And then, to make things even crazier.... the entire recipe of this deliciousness is only 220 calories.
Oh my goodness!
Oh my goodness!
Oh my goodness!
It's true.
I swear on my taste buds it truly is THAT awesome.
The only thing missing from this is peas. I love peas in my macaroni and cheese. I did not have any on hand but next time (and there WILL be a next time) I'm totally putting peas in this too.
 
 
Dreamy "Mac & Cheese" Spaghetti Squash (Single Serving)
 
Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp flour
salt & pepper
1/4 cup milk (1%)
1/4 cup Tex Mex blend shredded cheese
1 1/2 cups spaghetti squash, cooked
1 slice green pepper, finely diced
1 green onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp frozen peas
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, whisk together flour and salt & pepper. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Tex-Mex cheese until melted and smooth.
 
 
In a bowl, stir the cheese sauce into the cooked spaghetti squash until well combined. Spread in prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle with the green pepper, onion, peas,  and Parmesan cheese.
 
 
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and squash is heated through.
 
 
Remove from heat and enjoy the entire dish for 220 calories, 9 fat, 20 carbs, and 17 protein.
 
 
I understand that I am hyping this up and that usually just sets people up for disappointment.
BUT... I just cannot hide my excitement for this dish.
Without it actually being macaroni and cheese it is almost like macaroni and cheese. I know you are not going to fool anyone into thinking it's pasta but, if you are trying to do the whole "eat healthier" thing, you will be able to satisfy those pasta cravings.
Well, it worked for me anyway!
UPDATE: Loooooook, peas! So much better with peas. :)
 
 
Be sure to stop by The Mandatory Mooch and My Turn (for us) for tons of fabulous links!

59 comments:

  1. This looks really good! I am going to start using Spaghetti Squash more!

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    1. Thank you :) spaghetti squash is one of my favourites !

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    2. We started subing spaghetti squash for noodles and its awesome....

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    3. Do you by chance have the fiber content, I'm on weight watchers and to find out the points plus on it correctly I would need that number. Thank you, it sounds wonderful

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  2. Yum! I love spaghetti squash, I will have to try this! Sharon

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  3. so which one of you is having an affair with a spaghetti squash farmer? lol. Back-to-back recipes! Serious question - how much do you approximately get from one squash, or how many squash do you need to buy for this recipe or the squash bake recipe. thanks!

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    1. :) I had 1 medium squash and didn't know if that would be enough, so I bought 1 small squash. The yield from both was enough to make both dishes. So - I would say 1 small + 1 medium = about 6 cups of squash. Hope that is helpful :/

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  4. If you substitute corn starch for flour as the sauce thickener, the dish is gluten free. Thank you for the ideas!

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  5. Sounds great as I've just discovered spaghetti squash and am in love with it and all the possibilities! Can't wait to try it this week!

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  6. It would be a bit healthier if you shredded your own cheese. The pre shredded stuff is coated in some sort of starch. This does look delicious, and I may try it with my own cheese. Thanks for the recipe.

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    1. I just found out that my daughter has a sensitivity to potato, and guess what? Pre-grated cheese is coated with some sort of potato...

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  7. Do you have a link on how to correctly cook the spaghetti squash? i've never done it!

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    1. What I do to cook mine -- I cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, turn it upside down on a microwave safe plate, stab the skin a couple of times with a fork, and microwave in 5 minute increments until cooked. (Time will depend on the size of your squash, just keep checking it)
      You can also cook it in the oven. Just pierce the squash several times with a sharp knife. Bake about an hour in the oven at 375 F.
      Don't try to "shred" the strands until it is cool enough to handle! Hope that help!

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    2. You can also cook it in the crock pot. Poke holes in it with a fork. Then toss it in the crock pot with winter a little less than 1/2 way up the squash. I do this on nights when I have to work so I don't have to take the extra time to cook the squash also.

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  8. Hey! This was my first time using spaghetti squash! I liked the flavor, but was so bummed about how crunchy it was! Because I'm new to this squash, I have NO idea how big/small mine was. I nuked it like you said for about 12 minutes and it was still WAY WAY WAY crunchy. Is it supposed to be like that? I have seen other things online that say yes and others that say no. Your thoughts? Thanks for the recipe! I will for sure make it again, just hope to make it taste more tender like pasta. =)

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    1. How crunchy you leave it will be a personal preference. Cook it longer, until you get to the done-ness you prefer! I'm glad you liked it and I hope you do try it again to see if you like it better cooked longer! :)

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    2. This might be a little too late of a reply but I had the same exact problem when I started using this squash. My trick it to cut the squash in half, take out all the seeds, put the squash upside down side by side (so the inside of the squash is face down), and set it in about 1/2 inch-1 inch of water and bake it for 60 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees F.

      It turns about perfect everytime for me when I do it this way, the texture is a lot more like noodles than like squash.

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    3. Just a little hint, you can put the squash in the microwave whole after you prick with a fork for about 5-8 minutes depending how you like it. Cut in half and then scoop out seeds. I find that easier.

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  9. Im making it tonight!! Hope my picky hisband digs it :)

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  10. I love Spaghetti Squash, and even said I would rather use it instead of pasta! Not sure my boyfriend agrees with that one. We have been really cutting back on pasta (and all we use now is whole wheat) from our diet so I cant wait to try this. Thanks!!

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  11. I am very saturated fat conscious so I substituted the texmex cheese for shredded fat free mozzarella and american and a variety of veggie cheeses (which also melt great over veggies- soy swiss over green beans is my fave), subbed the grated parmesan for fat free grated parmesan topping, and used fortified skim milk. Also, I am big on packing as many veggie colors as I can into a dish (having a fiance who is a meat/cheese/potatoes man) so i minced up several colors of pepper, mini broccoli florets, and quartered cherry tomatoes along with the recommended peas. Came out delish and passed the man test!

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  12. Regardless of whether you use a microwave or stove, spaghetti squash comes out soft and tender if after removing seeds and slicing in half, you put an 1/2-1 inch of WATER in the pan/dish. Test as you go for desired doneness as this will vary with size and temp.

    Don't let the seeds go to waste! They are yummy roasted in the toaster oven. Same goes for the seeds of any squash including your Halloween pumpkins.

    Spaghetti squash is also great with butter and brown sugar or with pasta sauce.

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  13. I loved this! I may have eaten way too much. The spaghetti squash was even better than pasta (in my opinion), it added great flavor.

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  14. My husband, when he was doing low carb diet, loved when I would make my homemade spaghetti sauce with Italian sausage and put it on spaghetti squash, with parmesan cheese on top. I cut squash lengthwise, cleaned out seeds, wet and leave about a 1/4 cup of water in it, place on microwavable dish upside down...water steams it...cook 10 minutes or so. Shred squash with fork

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    1. Do you use Almond Flour ever? If so, how do you substitute?

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  15. This is the best ever. There is no way it is only 220 calories - that blows me away.

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  16. Made it tonight and loved it! So easy to make and everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe.

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  17. I'm a huge spaghetti squash fan but this recipe was disappointing. When I put the mixture in the oven it became really watery. Should have just mixed the hot spaghetti squash with the hot veggies and added the sauce.. probably would have kept it from getting so watered down :(

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    1. I'm sorry it didn't work for you :(

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    2. Having cooked with spaghetti squash many times now I've learned that you must put it in a strainer and weigh it down (with a plate and can of soup or the like) and leave it this way for 15 mins or so and it will squish the water out. That should really help.

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  18. Am going to try this this week! I will add more peas and mix into the squash/cheese mixture. Just figured this out to be 6 PPV for those of you WeightWatchers. If two servings, 3PPV each!

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    1. Hey, thanks for saving me the trouble of having to figure it out! Really appreciate it!

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  19. I just put mixture in the oven I diverted a little from the original recipe...I used extra sharp cheddar cheese and did not add peppers and green onions..kids voted against those items put we will see in about 15 mins

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  20. is there a way to easily print your recipes? without all the added typing and pictures? looks great! thanks!

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    1. You can copy & paste it into a blank word document and then just delete the photos and typing you don't want. :) We hope to one day have a "print" button option but, as of yet, none is available!

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  21. How could you go about substituting the flour for Almond flour? I'm on a low carb kick. Thanks!

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    1. I used equal parts of wheat flour and it turned out great!

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  22. I am eating this as I type, and it is AWESOME! Thanks for sharing!

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  23. I have never tried spaghetti squash and I am kind of a picky eater. Does anyone have any experience with spaghetti squash or this recipe and picky eaters?

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    1. I am an extremely picky eater, and I love spaghetti squash. Just don't go into it with the mindset that it tastes exactly like pasta, or you'll be disappointed. Think of it as being similar, but not the same.

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  24. Oh my goodness gracious!!!! This is AMAZING!!!!! I never post comments and I rarely share posts, but this is worth the effort! This is a brilliant and tasty low calorie option for a bechamel sauce. Way to go! Two thumbs up! Much appreciated!

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  25. I love this so much I have made it three times! I've been using different veggie combinations in each attempt. Since I love mac & cheese with a little crunch, I added Panko crumbs with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  26. I would love to make this for 6 people instead of just a single serving........... how do i go about this.... i always eat spaghetti squash all the time in all kinds of different ways.. but this sounds really yummy.......... if someone can help me figure on how to calculate for 6 people i would be very happy.............. thank

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    1. I would just adjust the ingredient amounts accordingly

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  27. I LOVE spat squash & cook it often. We don't own a microwave so I cut mine in half & steam it at least 30min. But then, very importantly, I squish and drain the squash BIG TIME. Pull out your strands and drain them some more in a colander. Then carry on!

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  28. Spaghetti Squash has to be one of those little known about super foods - its so good for you and is awesomely versatile! :) I found this recipe through pinterest and am sure to try it out! It sounds nummy and your pics mave me drooling :). Thank you for sharing! Best, Dawn

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  29. I msde this for dinner today and it was remarkable! Soooo delicious. My hubby couldnt get enough!

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  30. Another tip, if you have trouble cutting through the spaghetti squash uncooked (as my Mother does) roast it on a pan in the oven for about 15-20 minutes and it will soften enough for you to cut in half. Then just continue cooking as normal.

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  31. Happy w the recipe but for extra veggie kick I added pureed cauliflower to the cheese sauce before mixing it - comes out creamy and thick and my toddler and hubby have no idea they got a healthy dose of extra veggies!

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  32. Hey this DOES taste like mac n cheese... just made this quickly with what I had on hand - corn starch, almond milk, some sort of grated cheese blend, and lots of pre-grated parmesan (a lot more than the recipe called for lol :D) really really yummy. I omitted the onions, the green pepper, and the peas but did include a small batch of green onion. Sure does remind me of mac n cheese. thanks a lot!

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  33. Can you substitute whole wheat bread or the bread that has the seeds in it for the bread crumbs? Thanks!

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    1. There is no bread crumbs in this....maybe you are thinking of another recipe?

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  34. I just made this and WOW!!!!! incredible! THANK YOU from one cheese lover to I hope another :)

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  35. Going to try Cooking Spagetti squash for first time thanks fer the info...I googled it ...this came up..how cool is that

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  36. Thanks for sharing! I am trying this tonight!
    x
    LightandSweetblog.com

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  37. Can you use reduced fat cheese?

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