Mexican Spaghetti Squash With Ground Beef

Posted: 1/19/22 Updated: 1/19/22

Mexican spaghetti squash casserole with ground turkey, black beans, corn and cheese. Easy to prepare with pantry staples, lower in carbs, and leftovers keep amazingly well!

Once you know how to cook spaghetti squash, there are so many delicious dishes to enjoy it in - including this Mexican spaghetti squash casserole!

Adding spaghetti squash to recipes is a great way to take traditionally heavy recipes and give them a slightly lighter spin!

Casseroles are so often 'heavy' and leave you feeling stuffed and bloated... but not this Mexican spaghetti squash casserole! It tastes totally indulgent thanks to the cheese, but secretly it's a lighter alternative to a traditional casserole!

Reasons You'll Love This Recioe

• it has delicious Tex Mex flavor thanks to the enchilada sauce and spices
• leftovers keep well, and you can even freeze it!
• it is easy to prepare (especially if you pre-cook your spaghetti squash)
• can be made vegetarian

Ingredient Notes

• spaghetti squash - you'll need cooked spaghetti squash for this recipe; cook it in the oven or in the Instant Pot and give it plenty of time to cool.
• ground turkey - can be swapped for ground chicken or ground beef. Leave it out for a vegetarian option, and add extra black beans
• black beans - you can use canned black beans, or cook your own black beans in the Instant Pot or on the stove top!
• eggs - help to ensure that it didn't end up too watery, and really help the casserole set up (particularly as it cools)

• mild enchilada sauce - you can use store bought or homemade enchilada sauce. We like Fronterra or La Victoria brands - they both worked great
• mild chili powder -
• cheese - mozzarella is fairly neutral in flavor and gets nice and creamy in the casserole as it cooks. Swap for cheddar, monterey jack, or get fancy with jalapeno havarti

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Step by Step Directions

Cook spaghetti squash (you can use my easy oven or Instant Pot methods). Scoop out seeds and shred them into noodles with a fork.

Heat oven to 350°F. Cook ground turkey in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula and cooking until no pink remains (roughly 7 minutes). Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients, reserving ¾ cup of cheese. Scrape into a deep 9 X 13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle with the reserved ¾ cup of cheese.

Favorite Casserole Dish

This is the large casserole dish that we own and love! It's perfect for baking this recipe in.

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Cover with foil or a reusable silicone lid and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 15 minutes, until casserole is cooked through and bubbling.

Favorite Silicone Lids

Pro tip - these silicone lids work great for reducing plastic and tin foil waste! Use them for marinating, baking lasagnas or casseroles, resting meat, and even for covering food in the fridge!

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Allow casserole to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. The longer it sits the more it sets up.

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FAQ

Can I make it vegetarian?

Yes, just leave out the ground turkey. You can add in extra black beans if you wish to up the protein content.

Can I lower the carbs in this casserole?

Keep in mind that spaghetti squash does contain 10 g carbs per cup, but if you want to lower carbs in this recipe, leave out the corn & black beans, and try making a low carb enchilada sauce. Without the corn or black beans (but using regular enchilada sauce), this casserole has roughly 11 g net carbs.

Can I freeze it?

We tested freezing this in individual portions (after baking all the way through), and it still tasted great, a little softer than the original but not in an unappetizing way. We have not tested freezing this casserole before baking. If yo do try it, let us know in the comments how it turns out!

While this Mexican spaghetti squash casserole is life-saving pantry staples recipe, you can definitely get creative with it. Fresh ingredients boost the flavor and nutritional value! Here are some fresh ingredients that go so well in this recipe:

• fresh tomatoes
• red onion
• bell peppers
• riced cauliflower or broccoli
• fresh corn

• Fridge - Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freeze - we tested freezing this in individual portions (after baking all the way through), and it still tasted great, a little softer than the original but not in an unappetizing way. To freeze, let cool completely then store inn an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.
• Reheat - in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.

More Casserole Recipes

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Mexican spaghetti squash casserole with ground turkey, black beans, corn and cheese. Simple to prepare, lower in carbs, and leftovers keep amazingly well!

• ▢ 2 lbs spaghetti squash cooked & cooled slightly; note 1
• ▢ 1 lb ground turkey note 2
• ▢ 2 bell peppers chopped into small pieces
• ▢ 11.5 oz can of corn drained; 341 mL
• ▢ 18 oz can of black beans drained & rinsed; 541 mL
• ▢ 4.3 oz can of green chiles 127 mL
• ▢ 18 oz can of diced tomatoes including juices; 541 mL
• ▢ 10 oz can of mild enchilada sauce 300 mL; note 3
• ▢ 1 tablespoon mild chili powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 eggs note 4
• ▢ 2 cups cheese divided; mozzarella or monterey jack

• Cook spaghetti squash - Cook spaghetti squash *see note 1. Scoop out seeds and shred into noodles with a fork.

  

• Cook Turkey - Heat oven to 350°F. Cook ground turkey in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula and cooking until no pink remains (roughly 7 minutes). Cool slightly.

  

• Combine - In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients, reserving ¾ cup of cheese. Scrape into a deep 9X13 inch casserole dish and sprinkle with the reserved ¾ cup of cheese.

  

• Bake - Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes, until casserole is cooked through and bubbling.

  

• Serve - Allow casserole to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. The longer it sits the more it sets up.

  

1. you'll need to cook the spaghetti squash ahead and cool well.  Cook it in the oven or in the Instant Pot
2. can be swapped for ground chicken or ground beef. Leave it out for a vegetarian option, and add extra black beans
3. we like Fronterra or La Victoria brands
4. eggs are crucial in helping the casserole set up

A note on carbs

** without corn & black beans this casserole is roughly 11 g net carbs (14 g total carbs + 3 g fiber) per serving.

Serving: 1 /8 of batch , Calories: 384 kcal , Carbohydrates: 38 g , Protein: 31 g , Fat: 13 g , Saturated Fat: 6 g , Cholesterol: 101 mg , Sodium: 857 mg , Potassium: 845 mg , Fiber: 10 g , Sugar: 9 g , Vitamin A: 2130 IU , Vitamin C: 53.8 mg , Calcium: 285 mg , Iron: 4.4 mg

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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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