I did a little trading. I had an over abundance of butternut squash and a gal we go to church with had an over abundance of spaghetti squash. So, she and I – we did some trading. And I’m not sad about it, because it meant I could make this Spaghetti Squash with Beef Sausage and Spinach recipe for supper one night and lunch the next day.
As we’ve already established, Mr. FFB is not a fan of squash of any kind, which means more of this deliciousness for me and the kids who, amazingly enough, love this veggie-heavy meal.
This recipe makes some pretty awesome leftovers. And I won’t lie to you – while it is pretty great topped with grated parm, it’s absolutely fantastic topped with some crumbled Queso Fresco.
PS – if you haven’t tried Queso Fresco, you need to. It’s right up there on my list of favorite cheeses.
Don’t forget the rules of food safety! Here is the short list:
- Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
- Never thaw meat on the counter. Thaw in the refrigerator, microwave, or cool water bath.
- Always wash cutting boards and plates after having been in contact with raw meat.
- Always cook to appropriate internal temperatures. Safe internal temperatures vary based on cut. Hamburger must reach a safe and savory 160 degrees, while steak is safe at 145 degrees.
Spaghetti Squash with Beef Sausage and Spinach
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Description
A delicious, veggie-heavy meal your whole family will love, unless your husband doesn’t like squash…?
Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash
Olive oil
1 pound ground beef
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed
Grated Parmesan or crumbled Queso Fresco
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take out a baking sheet and brush it with olive oil. Cut about ½ inch off each end of the spaghetti squash. Stand the squash on end and cut it in half. Scrape all the seeds out of both halves of the squash and place each half on the baking sheet cut side down.
Put the squash laden baking sheet in the oven to bake for about 40 minutes. Take the squash out of the oven, and once they’re cool enough to handle, scrape insides of the squash into a bowl.
While you’re waiting for the squash to cook, grab a mixing bowl and toss your ground beef into it. Sprinkle the dry sausage ingredients over the ground beef. Mix the ground beef and the dry ingredients. Use your hands. Don’t be afraid to really get in there and get your hands meaty. Mix it up until your ground beef and spices are thoroughly combined. Cover your newly made sausage, and set it aside in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before cooking.
Get a large skillet and heat it up over medium-high heat. Once your skillet is hot, add the ground beef sausage, diced onion, and pressed garlic. Cook the sausage and aromatics (fancy for onions and garlic), stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the ground beef is browned.
Once the sausage is cooked through, drain any excess grease* before adding the squash and spinach to the skillet. Give it a good stir and heat through.
Serve immediately, top with the grated Parm or the crumbled Queso. Enjoy!
Notes
I move all my ground beef to one side of the skillet, then use a couple paper towels to soak up the excess grease.
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.