This baked spaghetti squash casserole is a wonderful single-dish meal that you can make ahead and freeze! Really easy to prepare even for beginning cooks, this spaghetti squash casserole is a classic comfort food packed with nutrient-dense vegetables, ground meat and a succulent nightshade-free “tomato-less” sauce. I know, the sauce really looks like the real thing, but let me assure you that it is made out of ingredients 100% compliant with the autoimmune protocol. I even fooled my teenage daughters with this one. hehe.
There is a little bit of preparation involved in this recipe since you will need 4 cups of spaghetti squash noodles. If you haven’t baked spaghetti squash before, I have scouted a few tutorials for you to choose from.
Here is the method I personally use for baking a spaghetti squash in the oven.
I also love this method from Martha Stewart because there is no difficult cutting process involved, although the cooking time is longer (1 hour and 20 minutes). You place the whole thing in the oven and voilà! I use this technique when I am flaring up and my wrists are screaming at me.
If you are more a video type of person, watch this short tutorial by Susannah Chen; she makes it look real easy and I particularly like the jazzy background music!
Author’s notes:
The recipe below will yield 8 portions. You can either save the leftovers for later or freeze them. I am using a big rectangular baking dish (11″ x 15″) but you may use smaller ones if you are batch cooking. Small aluminum loaf pans are also a good options, especially if you want to divide this casserole in multiple meals.
- 4 cups of spaghetti squash noodles cooked "al dente" (=1 medium spaghetti squash)
- 1 lb ground beef (or any other ground meat)
- 2 TBSP coconut oil
- 2 TSP salt
- 1 cup 1/2 onions, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
- 3 TSP herbes de Provence
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 small cans mushrooms, drained (4 oz - 113 g)
- For the "tomato-less"sauce:
- 1 can of butternut squash puree (or 1 cup 3/4 of homemade mashed butternut squash)
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 3 TSP salt
- 1/2 cup cooked beets, diced
- 3 TBSP gelatin (Great Lakes, red can)
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 TBSP of coconut oil, ground beef, and 1 TSP of salt. Cook until there is no more pink showing in the meat (about 8 minutes). Save the meat in a large bowl on the side.
- Using the same pan, place once again over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP of coconut oil, diced onions, carrots, garlic, herbes de provence and water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionaly. Add these vegetables to the meat.
- In a Vitamix or high speed blender, add butternut squash puree, coconut milk, salt, beets, and gelatin. Mix on high until the mixture is smooth.
- Mix together spaghetti squash noodles, meat, onions, carrots, mushrooms and "tomato" sauce.
- Pour the preparation in a 11" x 15" baking dish or several smaller dishes.
- Reheat the casserole in the oven at 400 F for 30 minutes.
- You may also freeze this casserole.
This baked spaghetti squash casserole recipe has been shared on Fat Tuesday – Real Food Wednesday – Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Roundtable
Just a couple quick questions…..am trying to eat low FODMAP so what would you suggest flavor wise to replace 1 1/2 cup onions? Would celeriac work or possibly parsnips or rutabaga? Do you drain the mushrooms? And what kind
of gelatin do you use….red or green can? Thanks so much. This recipe looks delicious!
Hello Kim!
Wow these are good questions 🙂
To replace the onions, you could go with finely chopped celery sticks or as you said shredded parsnips or turnips.
Yes you have to drain the mushrooms.
I use the red can of gelatin from Great Lakes.
Let me know how this recipe turns out for you with the modifications 🙂
I tried to find great lakes gelatin at Whole Foods and they did not have it. They suggested Guar Gum. Is that a good substitute for the gelatin? I have a No-Mato recipe that is similar but I wanted to try this one. It seems easier than my other one.
Hello Patti!
I never used guar gum but here is an interesting link on how to substitute guar gum for gelatin. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/use-guar-gum-replace-gelatin-5295.html
It seems that guar gum is more difficult to use because it tends to create clumps 🙁
I find mine at Vitamin Cottage (Natural Grovers). It is also available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Unflavored-Gelatin-Kosher/dp/B0008D6WBA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417037070&sr=8-2&keywords=great+lakes+gelatin
I hope this helps!
What is the lovely green garnish in the photo? Chopped flat-leaf parsley? Could I possibly skip the gelatin? I plan on using ground bison meat due to my daughter’s beef allergy and the gelatin is beef sourced. Its such a shame she is allergic to beef with the gelatin having such wonderful uses for the AIP.
Yes, it is most probably chopped cilantro or parsley! These are my favorite, go to fresh herbs that I keep on hand in the fridge. As for the gelatin, not all gelatin are beef sourced! Some are from pork 🙂 Even great lakes has pork gelatin. Look it up on amazon.com. You can try to skip the gelatin. The sauce will be a little bit more “runny” (but not much). Good luck 🙂
Just began an alkaline focused program and am wondering if most of your recipes are applicable
to such eating – love your site and by accident just found it – thanks so much!b
Hello Barb,
The AIP diet in general, as well as my recipes are definitely a good fit for an alkaline diet 🙂
Do you bake the casserole before you freeze it? Thanks.
Hello marie,
Yes, you bake the casserole before freezing. Then thaw slowly and reheat to serve.
So if I’m supposed to cook it first, what temp and length? Recipe only has info for reheating.
Hi there 🙂
This tutorial will help you: how to cook spaghetti squash in the oven.
Thanks so much for your prompt response. I made your no nightshade ratatouille and it was absolutely to die for. I doubled the recipe and wish I would have made more.
You are doing a wonder service for those of us who are living with restrictive eating problems, and we may not tell you often enough but you are very much appreciated. We know the time that goes into perfecting these recipes.
Hello again Marie 🙂
I am so glad to learn that you are enjoying my recipes 🙂 A lot of time and work goes into the development of these recipes and it is always so rewarding to hear from people like you! If you could leave a review on Amazon for me to express your appreciation, that would help me so much! Thanks 🙂