Spaghetti Squash Meatball Casserole

A low-carb meatball casserole recipe made with shredded spaghetti squash, premade marinara sauce, lean ground beef and fresh mozzarella cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Beef, Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings

Calories 361kcal

Author Amee

For the meatballs:
2 lbs lean ground beef 90% or less
1 whole egg
1 egg white
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs -I use gluten free
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the casserole:
1 large spaghetti squash
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 sweet onion chopped
1 tbsp Italian seasoning -fresh basil is great here, too
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 23.5 oz jar Newman's Own marinara sauce or your favorite thick Marinara sauce
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese sliced (I like to use a blend of buffalo mozzarella and shredded)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice spaghetti squash down the middle, lengthwise and brush the inside part with olive oil.
Lay squash, seeded part down onto a cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes.
While squash is baking, mix all meatball ingredients together (except olive oil) in a large bowl, working it well with your hands.
Roll into golf ball size balls and refrigerate until your squash comes out of the oven. You should have about 24 meatballs.
When squash is done, flip it with the flesh side up and set aside to cool
Turn oven up to 375 degrees F. and heat 1 tbsp olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown meatballs on all sides and place them onto a baking sheet.
Bake meatballs for 20 minutes, until cooked through.
Wipe out your skillet and add the remaining tbsp olive oil.
Cook onion and garlic on medium heat until onion is soft, about 4-5 minutes.
while onion and garlic are cooking, spoon out the seeds in the squash and shred squash with a fork (it should look like thin noodles)
Add shredded squash to skillet, along with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste.
Stir until just blended and remove from heat.
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish
Top with squash mixture, then arrange your meatballs on top
Pour remaining sauce over and top with slices of fresh mozzarella.
Lower oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

After shredding the squash, drain any excess moisture from the squash to prevent the casserole from becoming too watery.

Prep in advance, to save time, make the meatballs and bake the squash a day in advance.

Avoid overworking the meat when mixing the meatball ingredients, as this can make the meatballs tough. Mix until just combined.

Chill the meatballs in the refrigerator before baking to help prevent them from falling apart during browning/baking.

Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving. This helps the flavors meld and makes it easier to slice and serve.