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Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole is an easy, low carb pasta-like dish that the whole family will love! Tender spaghetti squash strands combined with lean ground beef, marinara sauce and multiple cheeses to create a bubbly, cheesy marinara spaghetti bake! This dish is great to prep for meal prep and eat all week.

Growing up, my mom used to make spaghetti on a weekly basis. It was my brothers favorite food and one that was always easy and comforting. Every now and then, she would spice things up with spaghetti squash bake with all the gooey cheese instead of just the standard spaghetti. It was always a treat in our house and a meal we all looked forward to! I wanted to recreate that dish but make it bit more lighter. I am still surprised at just HOW much lighter this dish is without sacrificing any of that cheesy, marinara flavor. Lean beef, cheesy marinara spaghetti goodness – It is out of this world good!

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE

  • Only 7 ingredients! With one being a seasoning. That is it!
  • Packs MAJOR VOLUME. Major. One serving size is 1/8 of the dish and it is HUGE.
  • Healthy but indulgent – you don't have to pick one or the other. This dish is packed with quality protein and vegetables but it is rich in flavor and oh so cheesy!
  • Low in calories and awesome macros – only 220 calories and 15g of carbs for one huge serving!
  • Great for meal prep – make once and you have dinner for the week
  • It's easy and cheesy – I just had to say it. It is all I could think of when making it! So easy. So cheesy. So good!

WHAT YOU NEED

  • Spaghetti squash – I used a large spaghetti squash and got about 5-6 cups (750g) from it once baked.
  • Lean ground beef – I used 96% lean ground beef to keep this dish lighter in fat, but feel free to use a different beef or even ground chicken or turkey!
  • Cream cheese – again, I used fat-free to keep this dish lighter. But if you can't find fat-free or just want to use something else, 1/3 reduced fat or full-fat cream cheese would work.
  • Cottage cheese
  • Marinara sauce
  • Tony's creole seasoning – love the flavor of this seasoning! But you can use another like seasoning if you prefer.

HOW TO MAKE

When I say this baked spaghetti is easy to make, I am not joking! The hardest part is just going to be getting your spaghetti squash cooked and shredded – besides that, everything else comes together relatively quick and easy.

  1. Cook spaghetti squash and pull out strands if you haven't already. I will usually do this the night before so I have the strands ready to go. If you still need to cook: preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut spaghetti squash in half length wise, and then scoop out the seeds from the center of both halves. Place halves of squash flesh side down in a 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Let cool, then use a fork to pull out strands of the flesh.
  2. Cook ground beef in a skillet, breaking up as you go.
  3. Combine cream cheese, cottage cheese, seasonings and marinara sauce. Add beef and spaghetti squash and mix until all ingredients are combined.
  4. Add spaghetti squash mixture to baking dish and bake!

WHAT TO EAT WITH

Just like any other casserole, I would throw alongside some sides that sound good with it! Here are some of my favorite things I have enjoyed eating this baked spaghetti squash casserole with:

  • Seasoned green beans or broccoli
  • Upside Down Egg White Pizza – YOU MUST TRY IT!
  • Garlic bread, garlic knots, or toast!
  • Side romaine salad with pickled red onions
  • Spinach salad with feta

MORE SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPES

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 96% lean ground beef (16 oz)
  • 5-6 cups spaghetti squash, shredded, drained of water, and loosely packed (750g)
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Tony's Creole seasoning, separated
  • 8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened (224g)
  • ½ cup low-fat 2% cottage cheese (117g)
  • 1 (25-ounce) jar marinara sauce (708g)
  • 3/4 cup reduced-fat mozzarella shredded cheese (84g)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray a 13x9" dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Bring a skillet to medium heat. Add the beef and season with 1 tsp of creole seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the beef as it cooks. Once beef has cooked through, turn off heat and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, cottage cheese, and 1 tbsp of creole seasoning. Using a hand mixer, blend until everything is combined. Add the marinara sauce and stir until it has mixed in thoroughly. Then, add in the beef and spaghetti squash strands (make sure you drain the water from them first!) and fold in until all ingredients are combined.
  4. Add the spaghetti squash mixture to the baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Notes

MFP ENTRY

Lauren Fit Foodie Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1/8 of dish (286g)
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219 Total Fat: 7.7g Sodium: 639mg Carbohydrates: 15g Fiber: 2.8g Sugar: 8.6g Protein: 22g