It seems we have gone vegetarian by default. With no meat in the freezer I have resorted to some creative dishes with staying power and lots of leftovers. This is one of those dishes and it is a family fave! Full of veggies, beans and some cheese and you have got yourself a meal. Super easy prep, use what's on hand if you don't have the veggies in this recipe, and be creative! Also, use however much cheese you like. These are just my guidelines, with finicky eaters and aversions to melted cheese, so if you like more, then by all means, customize it for your family. There are no hard, fast rules here guys. Eating well doesn't have to be fancy or hard-especially during a pandemic! Let me know how it turns out.
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 bag frozen cauliflower rice
1 onion chopped
1 can beans of your choice-rinsed ( I have used chickpeas and cannellini-both work well).
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small jar of pizza sauce ( I use nature's promise brand)
4 oz. shredded cheese ( I use Cabot lactose free sharp cheddar and grate it myself)
1/4-1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese ( I use BelGioioso shredded)
Kraft Parmesan Cheese Powder
Onion Powder, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano (or whatever spices you like)!
Directions
Prick the squash all over with a fork and place in microwave for 3 minutes. If it's not soft enough to cut through then 1-2 more minutes in microwave should do the trick.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds.
Place squash face side down in glass 9x13 pan
Microwave for approximately 13-15 minutes depending on your microwave (my microwave is an older model and takes a bit longer. You can also roast this in the oven but that takes a longer time.
While the squash is cooking. Chop onion and saute in olive oil until translucent.
Add in cauliflower and broccoli until cooked through.
Add beans into the mixture and mix.
Add in spices of your choice.
Add sauce to the veggie/bean mixture. I only used 1/2 a cup (again some folks are finicky about too much sauce)
Remove squash and let cool a bit to handle.
Comb through the squash with a fork and remove all the fleshy strands into a bowl.
Pour a little sauce to line the the bottom of the 9x13
Put a layer of spaghetti squash on top
Layer a few scoops of veggie mixture
Use 1/2 the cheeses and sprinkle evenly all around
Continue to layer spaghetti squash, mixture and cheese (I did it twice)
Add a little more parmesan on top
Bake at 425 for approximately 20 minutes until everything is melted, bubbly and golden brown.
Serve with chips (like nachos) or fresh bread. Either way you cannot go wrong with this dish. It is so forgiving.