These spaghetti squash boats is one of the best dinners I made. The texture, the flavour, the smell and the calories…all to die for! What a great light dinner, and it wasn’t hard.
I had these 2 spaghetti squash laying in my fridge and no plan. I have made spaghetti squash casserole before and wanted to try the boats.
Just bake the squash for 45 minutes.
In the meanwhile, quickly saute the veggies, fill the boats, sprinkle with cheese, bake for another 10 minutes and done.
Crunchy strands of spaghetti squash, almost like pasta but better, combined with beans, fresh cilantro and gooey cheese on top = heavenly. Just the best! One of the best parts of these spaghetti squash boats is that you eat a lot and feel like you completely pigged out but you did not.
Since this recipe came out, I created a few more spaghetti squash boats recipes: butter chicken spaghetti squash boats with coconut milk based traditional Indian sauce, chicken alfredo spaghetti squash boats with lighter Greek yogurt sauce and avocado and egg spaghetti squash boats.
PrintSpaghetti Squash Boats Tex Mex
Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash Boats are vegetarian healthy boats with beans, tomato sauce and cheese.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large bell pepper, diced
- 14 oz red kidney or black bean beans, drained & rinsed
- 1/2 tsp organic chili powder
- 2 tbsp diced canned chilis or jalapeños (or to taste)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped + more for garnish
- 1 + 1/2 cup Colby Jack/Tex Mex/Mozzarella cheese, shredded & divided
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Cooking spray (I use Misto)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Lay skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with unbleached parchment paper, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 mins or until cooked to a touch with a fork.
- In the meanwhile, preheat medium skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and saute for 4 – 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add beans, chili powder, chilis/jalapeños, tomato sauce, cilantro and stir. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup cheese. Stir again.
- Remove baked spaghetti squash from the oven and let cool a few minutes. Fluff each squash “boat” with a fork releasing some of the strands, leaving the squash in a shell. Fill each “boat” with heaping 3/4 – 1 cup prepared bean/pepper etc. mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese each. Bake for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve hot, garnished with extra cilantro.
Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
I made the spaghetti squash boats too. But I made chicken enchiladas (without the tortillas) and filled the boats! Absolutely delicious!
Awe, so happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes!
Have made this so many times – one of my favorite recipes ?
★★★★★
So easy and tasty.
★★★★★
I would’ve never thought of this! I used Black and Red Kidney beans.
★★★★★
Made this for my hubby’s birthday. It was really good. Made with salsa instead of tomato sauce. Had a cheese version and a Daiya cheddar version. Both were good.
Just OK. Nothing special at all. Would have been much better with Ground Beef and Black Beans. Not sure that I will make these again.
Made this yesterday. I am not a big fan of beans, so I switched the protein to chicken breasts. I used Kraft no fat shredded mozzarella. Half a spaghetti squash is A LOT of spaghetti squash, so I split the chicken/pepper, etc. mix into two halves of spaghetti squash. A serving is 1/4 of the squash!
The flavoring in this was perfect. I could have eaten both halves [and had a tummy ache!], but I had my serving knowing I have more as leftovers. It’s easy to prepare and would be great as a filling for a lettuce wrap, too!
My compliments on this recipe.
I’ve made this twice. Made a double recipe and took it to a church potluck – it was a hit! Thanks for posting. I microwave the squash on high 4-5 min., turning once. That makes it easier to cut and reduces the cooking time. I brush the squash with oil and bake it at 400 for 30 min. As suggested, I used Rotel instead of tomato sauce and jalapenos. I mixed the squash with the bean filling and poured into a 8×8 baking dish, then finished as recipe directs. Great recipe! Already shared with friends!
So you made it into a casserole?! Smart!
Hi Olena!
I’d love to include your tex mex spaghetti squash boats recipe in a spaghetti squash roundup I’m doing for Parade Magazine this month.
If you’re fine with that, could I use one of your photos with a link back to your original post (https://ifoodreal.com/tex-mex-spaghetti-squash-boats-recipe/)?
Let me know your thoughts, thanks!
Felicia
He Felicia. Sounds good! Go ahead!:)
I misunderstood that this recipe is vegetarian rather than vegan so am disappointed it calls for cheese. HOWEVER, I should be able to modify it using Daiya or cashew cheez as substitute. It looks amazingly deilcious!
It looks delicious, but I would also veganize this recipe. There are so many great vegan “cheese” options that I’m sure would work perfectly in this dish. Cutting the cholesterol to zero and saving the lives of cows and their calves makes the food taste even better! There are lots of great vegan “cheese” recipes online and a number of brand names at lots of groceries.
Hi Maureen. Feel free to do so. I personally think vegan cheeses are not healthier alternative because they are full of chemicals. I haven’t seen a healthy vegan cheese at the store yet. Juts like meat alternatives. Homemade cheeses are more like sauces which are not really cheese. I mean whether vegan lifestyle is healthy or not is a big debate which leads only to making a personal choice. A bit of cheese won’t hurt your cholesterol levels, all in moderation. I frankly believe in whole foods, not depriving my body of nutrients and sourcing local organic products as much as possible.:)
I have never eaten spagetti squash. We were given one and this recipe looked good. I followed the recipe and it was delicious!
Just made this for the first time tonight and it was fantastic! Definitely a keeper. Thanks!
as a weight watcher member.. this looks amazing… when you calculated the WW points did you use a full fat cheese or a low fat or fat free cheese???
More likely low fat.
I bought my first spaghetti squash and just attempted to cut it and it was near impossible! My hands cramped up a bunch during the process and the fact that I didn’t lose a finger (or hand) during the process is pure luck. Do you have any tips for how to make it easier (and safer) to cut the spaghetti squash? Should I poke holes in it all over with a fork and microwave for a few minutes before I follow your recipe? It looks delicious but I have no idea how to cut the squash….
I know it is hard. I usually use chef’s knife and try to keep my fingers away from the board as much as I can. I first insert the knife then smack the squash gently on a board a bit by holding the knife’s handle. Then move knife down a bit. Sometimes I use small serrated knife. Depends on a size of a squash too. I haven’t had an accident yet.
Yes, a couple of pokes with a sharp knife and microwave for 5 minutes. Let cool. Cut off the stem end. The spaghetti squash will slice nicely in half with the stem end removed.
To cut open a spaghetti squash , I found it easier to microwave each one about 5 to 7 minutes .
I guess you would have to wait for it to cool down before cutting. I do not own a microwave so I just hammer on a serrated knife.:)
Use an ice pick to poke (stab) holes all the way through – usually do about four rows of ice pick holes And then microwave for 10 minutes. When you take it out, it’s done and very easy to slice in half. (removing the seeds seems to take longer than anything).
AMAZING!!!!!!! Will be making these again soon. How delish, I’ve never ate spaghetti squash before but with all the toppings it paired perfectly together