Keto Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipes: A Comprehensive Guide

Spaghetti squash is a surprisingly low-carb food, making it a fantastic base for various keto-friendly dishes. This article explores several keto stuffed spaghetti squash recipes, offering a range of flavors and ingredients to suit different tastes. Whether you're craving a hearty, protein-packed meal or a comforting dish with a cheesy topping, there's a stuffed spaghetti squash recipe for you.

Understanding Spaghetti Squash and Keto

If you want to stay in ketosis, squash might seem off-limits, but spaghetti squash is surprisingly low-carb. According to USDA data, two cups of spaghetti squash contain 14 carbs (11 net carbs), making it a suitable option for those following a ketogenic diet.

Keto Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipes

1. Low-Carb Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

This recipe transforms spaghetti squash into a lasagna-like dish with layers of flavor.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash
• Your chosen sauce
• Red pepper flakes
• Cooking oil (olive oil or ghee)
• Meatballs
• Mozzarella cheese
• Chopped basil or parsley (optional garnish)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise using a large knife. Remove the seeds and goop.
3. Place both squash halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet and bake for an hour or until the squash can be easily scooped out with a spoon.
4. In the meantime, pour your chosen sauce into a medium saucepan over low heat, covered, and add red pepper flakes.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with your choice of cooking oil. Cook meatballs in the frying pan, flipping when halfway browned (approx 3-5 minutes).
6. When meatballs are cooked through, use a slotted spoon to add them (without the grease and fatty aftermath) into the sauce and let marinate.
7. In your baking vehicle of choice, layer sauce, squash, meatballs, sauce, mozzarella, squash, meatballs, sauce, mozzarella.
8. Remove the spaghetti squash lasagna from the oven and garnish with chopped basil or parsley if you like.

2. Easy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This recipe combines the unique taste of buffalo chicken with the mild taste of spaghetti squash. It’s a low-carb, gluten-free dinner that requires minimal effort.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash
• Greek yogurt
• Hot sauce (like Frank’s RedHot)
• Lemon juice
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Parsley
• Dill
• Chive
• Shredded chicken
• Crumbled blue cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds.
3. Place squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the flesh is fork-tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. During the last 10 minutes of the squash roasting, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, hot sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, dill, and chive. Mix until combined.
5. Stir in shredded chicken and mix until chicken is fully coated.
6. Once the spaghetti squash is done baking, carefully flip it over to show the inside.
7. Fill each ½ baked squash with the chicken mixture and top with 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese on each side.
8. Place back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes until heated on top and warmed through.

Additional Tips:

• Spiciness: Adjust the amount of buffalo sauce to control the level of spiciness.
• Storage: Store leftover stuffed squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

3. Keto Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Mushrooms, Spinach, and Blue Cheese

This recipe turns plain spaghetti squash into a flavorful keto meal with bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and blue cheese.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Bacon
• Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Spinach
• Blue cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Cut and remove stem from spaghetti squash using a sharp knife. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
3. Brush the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until soft, about 45 minutes. Scrape cooked flesh out into a bowl and set aside. Return spaghetti squash shells to the baking sheet.
5. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Add mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add spinach and cooked bacon; stir until spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Remove mixture from the skillet and add to squash flesh. Spoon filling back into squash shells.
8. Sprinkle each squash half with 1 tablespoon blue cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

4. Low Carb Spinach Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This recipe is a healthy meal option for lunch or dinner, loaded with chicken, spinach, cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash
• Chicken
• Spinach
• Cheese
• Tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Cream
• Salt
• Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut the squash in half and remove all the seeds.
2. Place squash cut side down into 1/2" water in a baking dish. Bake covered for 40 minutes and then remove from oven.
3. Using a fork start to shred the spaghetti squash leaving a 1/2" border.
4. Place the spaghetti squash into a bowl and add chicken, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, cream, salt, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
5. Bake covered in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and place 1/2 cup of cheese onto the tops of each squash piece.
6. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

5. Easy Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Ground Beef

This recipe combines ground beef, marinara sauce, spices, and shredded cheese for a protein-packed meal.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash
• Olive oil
• Lean ground beef
• Onion
• Green bell pepper
• Zucchini
• Marinara sauce
• Spices (to taste)
• Mexican cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil and sour cream (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees C). Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil. Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out squash seeds.
2. Place squash cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake uncovered until tender for about 30-40 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C).
3. When cool enough to handle, scoop out squash, separating strands with a fork; set shells and squash aside.
4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, drizzle some of the olive oil, add the chopped onion and green bell pepper to the pan, and simmer until the onion is translucent.
5. Next add the pound of lean ground beef in the large skillet, cook beef, spices, onion, green bell pepper, and zucchini over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, 3-4 minutes, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain.
6. Add in the marinara sauce and cook two minutes longer. Stir in squash and cook uncovered, until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
7. Fill shells; place in a shallow baking dish. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C).
8. Sprinkle with cheese; bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer.

Tips:

• Use Italian sausage or chicken sausage instead of ground beef.
• Swap out the Mexican Shredded Cheese for Shredded Mozzarella Cheese or ricotta cheese.
• Add red pepper flakes and chili powder for a spicy kick.
• Include black beans for an added fiber boost.

6. Ground Turkey Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This recipe uses ground turkey, smoky paprika, and cheese for a flavorful, low-carb dinner.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti Squash
• Ground Turkey
• Bell Pepper
• Spinach
• Onions and Garlic
• Smoked Paprika
• Italian Seasoning
• Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper
• Fresh Parsley (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the inside with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the flesh is fork-tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. While the squash is roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 3 minutes until they soften. Add the garlic and diced red bell pepper, and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in the ground turkey, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned and fully cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Season with Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper.
5. Once the turkey is cooked, stir in the chopped spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
6. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the roasted spaghetti squash to create spaghetti-like strands. Leave them inside the squash halves.
7. Spoon the turkey mixture evenly into the squash halves and gently mix with the squash strands.
8. Top each half with shredded mozzarella cheese.
9. Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot!

7. Sausage Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This recipe uses sausage in a creamy tomato sauce. The tomato sauce brims with Italian flare with notes of basil, oregano, and garlic.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash (1.5 -2 pound)
• Coconut oil spray
• Sea salt
• Butter (1 tablespoon)
• Yellow onion (2 tablespoons, finely chopped)
• Ground mild Italian sausage (1 pound, not in links)
• Garlic (2 cloves, crushed)
• Tomato sauce (1 cup)
• Heavy whipping cream (1/2 cup)
• Dried basil (1/2 teaspoon)
• Dried oregano (1/4 teaspoon)
• Red pepper flakes (1/8 teaspoon, optional)
• Black pepper (1/4 teaspoon, or to taste)
• Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons, finely grated)
• Mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup, finely grated)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). Cut squash in half lengthwise and discard the seeds.
2. Spray squash lightly with coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake squash 35-40 minutes or until tender. Using my oven, 35 minutes makes the squash noodles al dente, and 40 minutes makes them more tender. Test doneness by inserting a fork. If the fork slides in easily, the squash should be tender. Remove from oven.
4. While squash is baking, prepare the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add butter. When butter stops foaming, add the onion. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until onion is just starting to brown and starts to become translucent.
5. Add the ground sausage. Cook sausage mixture, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and cooked through. Drain and discard excess grease.
6. Stir in garlic and cook for one minute. Add tomato sauce, whipping cream, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and sea salt. Stir until sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
7. When squash has reached the desired level of tenderness, remove from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 400º Fahrenheit (200 degrees C).
8. Turn each squash half using tongs or oven mitts, so that they are on the baking sheet with the cut side up.
9. Fill the squash halves with the sausage mixture, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese on top.
10. Bake in 400º oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Tips for Cooking Spaghetti Squash

• Cutting: Cut spaghetti squash in half before cooking for the best texture.
• Roasting: Roast the squash cut-side down to help it cook faster and retain moisture.
• Doneness: Check your squash after 30 minutes to avoid overcooking. The squash should be tender but not mushy.
• Texture: Spaghetti squash should be tender and slightly firm, but not crunchy. The ideal texture is soft enough to easily scrape into spaghetti-like strands with a fork while still maintaining a bit of bite, similar to al dente pasta.
• Seasoning: Season the filling well to enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
• Cheese: Top with extra cheese for a golden, bubbly finish. Broil it for the last few minutes for an even more appetizing finish.

Common Questions About Spaghetti Squash

• Why is my baked spaghetti squash watery? Overcooking or not allowing the squash to release its moisture can cause a watery result. Roast it cut-side down and check for doneness after about 30 minutes.
• Does spaghetti squash fill you up? Yes, it is high in fiber and low in calories, making it a filling and healthy option.
• Does spaghetti squash reheat well? Yes, it reheats well. Store cooked spaghetti squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or oven.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

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