Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash about 2½-3 pounds, or about 5 cups once roasted
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1⅓ cups reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese about 5 ounces, divided
- Diced pickles for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Carefully cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Rub the insides with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Place the squash onto the prepared baking sheet cut-side-down, and cook until fork-tender, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool until you can comfortably hold it, about 15 minutes.
- Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks, until no longer pink. Transfer to the bottom of a greased casserole dish.
- Scrape the flesh out of the squash into a large bowl and add the diced onions.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together all of the remaining ingredients except for the cheese and pickles. Mix until well combined. Pour this mixture over top of the squash and onions, then stir until the squash is evenly coated. Make sure you break up all the strands of squash so the tomato mixture covers everything. Stir in ⅔ cup of cheese, reserving the rest for later.
- Transfer squash mixture to the casserole dish, spooning the squash over the beef and packing it firmly into the dish as you go.
- Bake until the top feels set, about 30-40 minutes. Then, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Top with diced pickles for garnish.