Individual Spaghetti Squash Casseroles

I had a lonely spaghetti squash sitting in my pantry & two grumpy kids who were not in the mood to go food shopping, so I had to use ingredients I had on hand and this recipe came out better than I had expected! Originally I had thought these were going to be side dishes, but one mini casserole filled me up! My husband, on the other hand, also had two pieces of chicken and some peas on the side. He's the exception though, I'm pretty confident that one of these casseroles and a garden salad on the side would make the perfect meal!

Individual Spaghetti Squash Casseroles

Ingredients:

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp dried basil (use fresh if you have it)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Italian Panko breadcrumbs

There are a few different ways to cook a spaghetti squash. I've tried face up & face down and I cook them differently depending on which recipe I'm making. For this recipe I find it easiest to cut your squash lengthwise, scoop out the insides, and place skin side up on a foil lined & sprayed baking sheet. Cook @ 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. Once you take them out of the oven the skin should feel squishy. Wait about 10-15 minutes and then turn them over. Using a pot holder to hold the squash in your hand, scrape out the spaghetti like strands of squash into a bowl. 

Add olive oil, basil, sea salt, & cracked pepper to taste.

Next add in the can of drained tomatoes.

Add in the shredded Parmesan cheese.

If you don't have individual casserole dishes then you can put the mixture into a greased 8X8 baking dish. I recently received my new mini casserole dishes for my birthday so I was looking for an excuse to use them! Make sure to grease your dish before dividing the squash mixture.

In a bowl, combine the Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese then top each casserole with half the mixture.

You can bake right away or put them in the fridge for later! When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake your casserole for 25-30 minutes.

I bet these little dishes could fool your significant other into thinking he or she is eating pasta!