Pizza Casserole with Spaghetti Squash

Last night’s dinner and todays lunch!! Amazing! I used a base recipe from the Paleomg website. It’s called Almost 5 Ingredient Pizza Spaghetti Pie. I added more ingredients and changed up the process of how I put it together and baked it. I precooked the squash two nights ago by roasting it in the oven @ 400 F for an hour. It called for onions, but I also added red peppers, spinach, and @balancedbites Super Garlic Spice Blend. I used 1 pound of ground sirloin versus Italian sausage. I did not use basil, & the original recipe called for it. I used a 12 ounce jar of @raoshomemade pizza sauce, only used 2 eggs, and added @applegatepepperoni to it to make a crust, plus put more on top! I also topped with banana peppers. I baked it @ 400 F, for 45 minutes. 

By:Kristi

Prep time: 10 minutes for squash prep and 20 minutes for meat sauce.

Cook time: 2 hours and 15 minutes (Including roasting squash.).

Total time:  2 hours and 25 minutes.

Yields: 4 servings

Cuisine: American/Italian

Ingredients:

For Squash

1 Spaghetti Squash (600-700 grams)

1 tablespoon Kasandrino’s Olive Oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

For sauce

1 pound of ground sirloin

1 tablespoon Kasandeino’s Olive Oil

1 small onion, diced

½ red pepper, diced

2 cups of fresh spinach

1 12 ounce jar of Rao’s Pizza Sauce

Spice Blend

1 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of chives

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

**OR 1 tablespoon of Balanced Bites Super Garlic**

2 large eggs (I use Vital Farms)

18 slices of deli pepperoni, I used Applegate Farms

Banana pepper rings (optional)

Mozzarella Cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 F.

2.  Prepare a sheet pan for baking. 

3.  Also prepare an 8X8 glass baking dish for the casserole and set aside.

4.  Cut Squash in half.

5.  On the cut side of each squash rub with 1 tablespoon of the Kasandrino’s Olive Oil.

6.  Sprinkle salt on both cut halves, and place cut side down on baking sheet.

7.  Place in oven and roast for 50 minutes to an hour. The outside of the skins will start to darken. And the inside will start to caramelize when done.

8.  Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15-20 minutes, so you can scrape out the seeds and shred.

9.  In the meantime, while the squash is roasting, heat a very large skillet and add the other tablespoon of Kasandrino’s Olive Oil.

10.  Add the diced onion and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.

11.  Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, while breaking up into pieces with a spatula or spoon.

12.  Add in salt, pepper, garlic granules, onion powder and chives and mix thoroughly.

13.  Next, add in the spinach and let wilt while mixing.

14.  Then, add the Rao’s Pizza Sauce and mix thoroughly, again.

15.  Let the sauce simmer until the squash is finished roasting.

16.  Once squash is cooked and cooled, flip the, over and gently remove the seeds. Some of the squash strands will come out with the seeds, you just have to pick through the strands. 

17.  Then using two forks, shred the squash and pull away from the shell/casing on both halves. It should resemble spaghetti (hence the name).

18.  Add all of the squash strands into the pan with the meat sauce and mix thoroughly.

19.  Next, beat the two eggs in a small bowl and pour into the meat and squash mixture. Mix really well!

20.  Now dump everything from the large skillet into an 8x8 greased baking dish.

21.  Finally, take the pepperoni and slide down along the sides of the glass pan all the way around. Almost like an upside-down crust. So, the sides will be lined, and the top half of the pepperoni will fold over on top. Then take the rest of the pepperoni and place over the top of the dish covering all of the mixture.

22.  Place in the oven for 50 minutes until nice a bubbly and the pepperoni is browned. 

23.  Check halfway through baking to make sure the pepperoni isn’t burning or browning too much. If so, lightly cover with foil and continue baking.

24.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting, or it will fall apart!

25.  Enjoy!