Day 80: Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ugh! I woke up this morning sicker than a dog!! God bless my hubby, he got everyone up and cooked bacon and eggs for the whole crew. I knew there was a reason I married him! LOL! I was back up at the International Sportsman's Expo again yesterday. I was able to see the dishes prepared by the finalists at the dutch oven cook off. They really pulled out all the stops! The presentation was flawless, and everything smelled wonderful! Congratulations to everyone involved. It was a great event! And a special congratulations to Brian and Lisa Blodgett! They are the 2010 International Dutch Oven Society's World Champions!! They cooked Bacon Herbed Wrapped Tenderloin, Raspberry Pineapple Sweet Bread and Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusal Topping. You can find their recipes, and many more, in the 2010 World Championship Cook Off recipe book. It is available here, so get your copy now! You won't be sorry you did! I can't wait to start cooking out of my copy! I just read my email of the final results, and I saw that Bev Shepard and Pamela Lane, the two amazing ladies that I helped on Friday took Second Place!!! Congratulations! You are both awesome!

Today's recipe is one that I've had for a while. I can't remember where I got it, but it is safe to say it probably came from a Taste of Home magazine. I had one last spaghetti squash that needed to be used, so we gave it a try.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

10" Dutch oven

1 small spaghetti squash (1 1/2-2 lbs.)

1/2 cup water

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 clove minced garlic

1 8 oz. can tomatoes with liquid

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place them cut side down in your DO and add the water. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes or until it is easily pierced with a fork. I used 16 coals on top and 7 on bottom. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop it out and separate the strands with a fork. In your DO, brown the beef, onion, red pepper and garlic. Drain if necessary and add tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and squash. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes. I used 20 coals on the bottom for this step. Cover and bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes with 12 coals on top and 8 on the bottom. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley, cover and let stand a few minutes (until the cheese is melted). Serves 6-8.

The Finished Product

The Review

I really didn't expect much from this dish. My family isn't big on casseroles, but I was surprised that everyone ate this. My 7 year old hates squash, but loved it when I told her it was thin spaghetti noodles. She didn't even notice the difference. It was better than I thought it would be. This won't go into our regular meal rotation, but I will probably make it a couple of times a year. I'll give this one a B-.