Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Made with 3 kinds of cheese, ground pork, and veggies, this cheesy spaghetti squash casserole is a nice choice for a casual dinner with friends or family.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 517 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• nonstick cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or as needed
• 1 (16 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base (such as Better than Bouillon®)
• 1 (3 pound) spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• 1 bulb garlic, cloves peeled and minced
• 1.5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1.5 teaspoons dried basil
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1.5 teaspoons ground thyme
• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• 1.5 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 0.25 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Bake in the preheated oven until tender when pierced with a fork, 45 to 60 minutes.

Step 3

Remove squash from the oven and set aside to cool a bit. Leave the oven on.

Step 4

Spray an 11x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread 1/2 of the shredded squash evenly over the bottom of the dish and top with 1/2 of the pork-vegetable mixture. Repeat for a second layer. Pour cream over the entire dish.

Step 5

Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Step 6

Brush the squash flesh with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon garlic-pepper over top; rub the edges and insides to make sure it's distributed evenly. Place on a baking sheet.

Step 7

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron pan over low heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 10 more minutes. Move everything to the outside edges of the pan; add sausage, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper to the center. Cook and stir until pork is browned, crumbly, and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.

Step 8

Mix chicken base, oregano, thyme, and basil together in a large bowl. Add Parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. Add Cheddar and mozzarella and mix until well combined; it may be a little clumpy, but as long as it's only small clumps, that's okay.

Step 9

Shred squash flesh onto a sheet pan; use an oven mitt to hold it if it's still too hot. Toss with remaining garlic-pepper and season with salt and pepper if you want to. (Just remember the chicken base has a fair amount of salt in it already.)