One of my favorite dishes growing up was made only for special occasions.  Usually at Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter.  To do this day, I love cheesy potatoes.  It consists of shredded potatoes covered in a sour cream, cream of chicken, and cheese mixture.  I’m pretty sure most families have a version of this.  So you most likely know how delicious it is, and how unhealthy it is.

Tonight I accidentally  made this dish healthy.  It was a happy accident leading to me rushing to my computer to blog about it.

For the first time, in who knows when, I was on my own for dinner.  It was one of those nights where I really did not want to make dinner, especially not for one person.  Then, out of the blue I was inspired by the spaghetti squash I bought yesterday.  No one in my family likes spaghetti squash but me.  Weirdos.  So this was the perfect opportunity for me to make whatever I wanted.  I was in uncharted territory.  I had carte blance on this dish.

I started pulling ingredients out of the fridge in a feverish pace.  Goat cheese went flying onto the counter.  Then turkey bacon followed in its path.  I found a portion of a red onion and then went to town slicing and dicing.  In the end I wound up with a casserole/bake.

While my experiment in solo cooking was bubbling and browning, I watched an entire t.v. show without being interrupted.  Those with children can attest to how wonderful that 30 minutes was.  No complaining about what I was watching, no asking me for anything, just the commentary of Joel McHale on the Soup.  Ahhhhhh.  I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep.

When it was time to try my new creation I jumped off the couch feeling refreshed, and pulled it out of the oven.  I was really excited to try my dish.  I cut a giant square all for myself.  Grabbed a fork, plopped back on the couch and devoured my entire plate in a matter of minutes.  Oh my goodness!  Then I went back for more.  I then licked my plate clean, since no one was here to witness it.

It tasted very similar to the cheesy potatoes I grew up on, with a fraction of the fat and zero carbs.  If you have never tried spaghetti sqaush, this dish would be a great place to start.  I have a feeling my husband and boys would approve too.  I can’t wait for them to come home and try it.

Recipe

1 small spaghetti squash

4 pieces of turkey bacon, diced

1/4 of a red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons cheddar cheese

1 egg

1/4 c. unsweetened almond milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 – 1 teaspoon tabasco (depending on how much spice you like)

2 tablespoons grated parmesean

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 8×8 baking dish with olive oil.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Place face down on a microwave safe plate with a small amount of water, cover with plastic wrap and cook for 8 minutes on high.  (An alternative to a microwave would be place face down on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 – 90 minutes depending on the size).  When spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, take a fork and scrape out the strands of squash.  Set aside.

Saute the bacon over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add the red onion in and saute another 3- 4 minutes.  Add in the garlic, saute for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and mix in the spaghetti squash.

Whisk together the egg, cheeses, milk, salt and pepper, and tabasco.  Add the milk mixture to the spaghetti squash and mix thoroughly.  Pour into baking dish and evenly sprinkle the parmesan over the squash.  Bake for 30 minutes, turning half way through, to bake evenly.  Serve hot.  Enjoy!

Servings: 8 • Size: 1/8 of casserole

Calories: 154 • Fat: 11g • Carb: 13 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 5g •
Sugar: 0.3 g
Sodium: 790mg • Cholest: 57 mg