On a whim, I decided to throw a few of my favorite things together to see what would happen and—this time—the results weren’t all bad. Roasted spaghetti squash and spicy ground beef get sauced with creamy queso and the whole mixture is baked until the cheese sprinkled on top turns a bubbling brown. 

This is an easy one to adapt. If you like it spicier, amp up the seasoning with more chili powder or sauté up some jalapeños with the garlic when making the queso. Give the casserole some more texture with the addition of chopped tomatoes or canned black beans. Use chorizo instead of beef or leave the beef out if you want to take this in a vegetarian direction. When it comes to cheeses, I like to mix and would opt for cheeses that melt well here—think any of the cheeses your supermarket stocks near its Cracker Barrel selection as opposed to its cheese counter.   

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Serves 6-8

2 spaghetti squashes 
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef (or buffalo) 
3 tablespoons fajita seasoning
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup half and half
4 ounces cream cheese
2 cups grated cheese (mixture of cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack, etc.) 
Scallions, sliced, for garnish
Cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Split squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub insides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for an hour, hour and fifteen minutes until skin pierces easily with a fork. Once cool enough to touch scoop out the strands of squash. Using a fork will help pull out the flesh in strands and use a spoon to get the last of it. 

Squash has a high water content, so let the squash drain in a colander set in the sink while you finish preparing the rest. Go ahead and help some of the liquid out by pushing down on the mixture in the colander with a spatula. 

Meanwhile, brown the meat and prepare the queso. To brown meat, heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add the beef. Be patient and let one side brown before looking to break the meat up into smaller pieces. You don’t want any grey meat, nor do you want the beef to crowd the skillet—when this happens, the meat actually steams rather that sears so you miss some of the flavor. Once you’ve broken the meat down into smaller pieces, generously sprinkle fajita seasoning over the sizzling meat. 

Once the meat has browned, place in a separate bowl off heat, add more olive oil to the skillet, turn heat down to medium and add garlic. After a few minutes, before garlic has burned, add half and half along with a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Add the cream cheese and most of the grated cheese (save some to top the casserole) and stir until you have a nice smooth queso. Season to taste.  

Add the beef and the squash to the queso and stir to combine. Pour into a greased 8” x 8” baking dish and top with some more cheese and bake for 45 minutes. If the top starts to brown (usually because of the cheese), cover with tin foil until cook time is up. 

Add scallions and cilantro to the casserole and serve.