Any casserole lovers around here? I’ve already got my hand raised! And as much as I love a good, comforting casserole, I love anything Mediterranean even more.
Enter what’s possibly my favorite hybrid yet…the Mediterranean Meatball Casserole! I’m of the mind that a casserole is a gift that keeps on giving; it’s warm and delicious the first night, and as the leftovers do their thing in the fridge it somehow gets even better.
In this case, the sauce seems to thicken a bit and the spaghetti squash somehow absorbs all of those savory flavors!
The best part of this dish? The meatball recipe is likely to give you more than you need, so you have some to stock away for snacks and meals throughout the week!
Happy cooking, friends! – This recipe was created by Amanda Runnels (from Unrefined Junkie) for A Squirrel in the Kitchen.
One-Pot Mediterranean Meatball Casserole
Equipment
- Two large baking sheets
- parchment paper
- 2-3 quart ceramic or glass casserole dish
- Large skillet
Ingredients
For the meatballs and spaghetti squash:
- 1 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground chuck (or ground beef)
- ½ pound ground pork
- 3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 kalamata olives, diced
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cassava flour
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
For the casserole:
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onion
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 13.5 oz cans of coconut cream, cream only (set about 4 tablespoons of the water from the can aside)
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
For the meatballs and spaghetti squash:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients except the spaghetti squash and olive oil in a large bowl. Knead together until thoroughly combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out mixture and roll into 1½-inch balls.
- Place the meatballs on one of the baking sheets and transfer to the oven on the middle rack.
- Place the spaghetti squash face side down on the second baking sheet and transfer to the oven on the middle rack as well. If you don't have enough room, place the spaghetti squash on the bottom rack.
- Bake the meatballs for 30-40 minutes or until done through.
- Bake the spaghetti squash until tender, about 45 minutes.
- When the spaghetti squash is done, remove from oven and “shred” the meat with a fork into
the casserole dish. Leave the oven on as you put together the casserole.
For assembling and cooking the casserole:
- Toss the spinach with the shredded spaghetti squash in the casserole dish.
- Heat up the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut cream and seasonings. Simmer for 7-10 minutes on low-medium heat.
- Use a ladle to evenly distribute the sauce onto the spaghetti squash. If needed, add a bit of the
coconut water around the edges of the spaghetti squash (Optional. I found this made for extra
"sauciness"). - Add the meatballs by pressing them into the spaghetti squash mixture.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until warmed through completely. Garnish with
parsley.
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. I tweaked the recipe a little because I didn’t have spaghetti squash on hand. Instead I used spiralized sweet potato. And I used a pound of beef with 1/2 pound of lamb. The meatballs were very juicy. The coconut sauce was so amazing in this casserole. Thank you for the recipe! My spouse gave it a 10/10.
These meatballs had so much flavor- such a comforting meal and definitely going into our regular rotation!
This was so delicious! Our whole family loved it. The sauce was so creamy and flavorful. I could eat this every day and not get sick of it.
The recipe and instructions call for coconut cream but the link is
For coconut milk. Do we use cans of coconut cream or just the cream from the top of the coconut milk? The volume will not be the same
if I use 2 full cans of coconut cream.
Made this for dinner last night and replaced pork with Turkey. Omg this is sooo good for anyone trying the Pegan diet to reduce inflammation and wants a savory & hearty meal with lots of flavor!