Today I’m thrilled and excited to present a recipe (plus a spin-off of my own) that Trish initially shared with bootcampers over a year ago. Despite not being terribly creative myself, I’d had the same idea/goal but with poor execution (see my former blog link below). This recipe however was JUST what I wanted and is really quite amazing! HIGHLY recommended!
MD Friendly Spaghetti Pizza Pie (http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/)
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1 lb spicy turkey sausage, remove casings (or ground turkey/chicken)
- ½ diced yellow onion
- 1 cup no-sugar spaghetti sauce*
- 1 tsp dried basil (I generally just add a bunch of Italian seasoning)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 whisked eggs
- Optional pizza toppings (think diced bell pepper and mushrooms, maybe artichokes or black olives, which will add a little fat)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise and place cut side down on baking sheet and bake 20-25 min (or see my blog link below for the faster cook method I always use!). Reduce heat to 350 when the skin gives when you press on it. Remove threads into 8×8” baking dish and set aside (feel free to cut it open and let it cool while doing the next step). Place a large pan over medium heat. Brown sausage or ground turkey/chicken with onion. Saute in any other diced veggies. Add spaghetti sauce and seasonings. I also always add some nutritional yeast flakes to add a cheesy flavor. Add mixture to the 8×8 dish and mix well with squash. Add whisked eggs to dish and mix it all together until you can’t see the eggs anymore. I might sprinkle on a little more nutritional yeast flakes too. Place in the oven and bake 1 hour or until the top has slight crust and doesn’t give if pressed. Rest 5 min before serving. Makes 4 protein/veg servings.
Past blog to see my own attempt at this concept and how to save time when cooking your squash: http://www.wemeltyou.com/friendly-feasting-things-spaghetti-squash/
*As of May 2015, I’ve been researching no-sugar-added spaghetti sauces. It seems Ragu may have quit making theirs, unfortunately. Classico’s tomato and basil is no longer qualified, but they have two current options without added sugar: a roasted garlic and spicy red pepper sauce. The former is at the Bloomington Walmart and the latter is in Bedford but not here locally. I’m hoping this changes. Keep your eyes on labels and don’t assume ingredients don’t change! The sauce will have sugar grams in the nutritional info (naturally in tomatoes) but may not have sugar listed in the ingredients. Companies are sneaky about hooking us on a product, then randomly deciding to add sugar! Hunts makes a less exciting no-sugar-added option in a can.
MEXI Version!!!
I love Mexican food and once had cooked up a big crockpot of ground turkey with salsa and Mexican spices when I was in a hurry to have protein ready and on hand. I wasn’t sure how on earth to use it all up and decided to try it in this pizza pie recipe. I think I like it even better!
Follow the same recipe and process as above, but in the skillet cook:
- 1 lb ground turkey/chicken
- Diced veggies like above
- 1 cup salsa and/or no-salt-added tomato sauce (add more as needed for sauciness!)
- Mexican and other seasonings to taste: cumin, chili powder, cayenne, garlic, etc.
Add this mixture to the squash threads in the 8×8 dish, stir in the whisked eggs just like before, and bake. YUMMY!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and a big thanks to our General Manager, Trish, for first sharing it! This is definitely one of my go-to options for a DELICIOUS meal, plus I get to cook once and eat four times. If you come up with another version, let me know! Until next week, feast Italian, feast Mexican, and as always…FEAST ON!!!
~Coach Lauren
