April 25, 2016

Cheesy spaghetti squash

Serving spoon scooping up cheesy spaghetti squash.

Hot and cheesy spaghetti squash is a delicious comfort food that makes a perfect side dish to so many different meals. It's flavorful and a great way to enjoy spaghetti squash.

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Spaghetti squash is a winter squash that breaks apart into strands after it is cooked. It's a pretty blank canvass for flavor so you can make them into all kinds of tasty dishes. 

One of my family's favorite ways to eat spaghetti squash is to bake it with a cheese sauce like a macaroni and cheese. This recipe is super cheesy and the squash strands are put back into the spaghetti squash halves and baked until ooey and gooey and golden. 

Two halves of baked cheesy spaghetti squash.

Cheesy spaghetti squash is a yummy side dish with ham, pork loin, chicken, steaks, and more. Add a green vegetable or a salad for a complete meal. 

Another thing I like to do is to make these Ham and Cheese Spaghetti Squash Boats. This recipe is similar to this cheesy spaghetti squash except it uses some leftover ham and turns this more into a main dish. Ham and cheese are a perfect pairing.

When you are making a cheese sauce, it is best to grate the cheese yourself rather than buy pre-grated. This will help to ensure to cheese melts smoothly. I also like to use a sharp or extra-sharp cheddar for the most flavor.

Finished baked cheesy spaghetti squash.

Yield: 3-4 servings
Author: Amy (Savory Moments)
Cheesy Spaghetti Squash

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash

Hot and cheesy spaghetti squash is a delicious comfort food that makes a perfect side dish to so many different meals. It's flavorful and a great way to enjoy spaghetti squash.

Ingredients

  • 1 small spaghetti squash
  • 1-1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • dash of cayenne pepper
  • 2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 tablespoon minced chives, plus more for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the spaghetti squash length-wise and remove the seeds. Place cut side up in a baking dish and bake until fork-tender, about 45-60 minutes. Let cool until you can hold the squash.
  2. When the squash is almost finished, start the cheese sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk and flour. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
  3. Heat over medium heat, continuing to whisk until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the chives and slowly whisk in 1-1/2 cups of cheddar.
  4. Use a fork to pull out the spaghetti squash strands and separate them into a large bowl. You want about 3 cups of squash, lightly packed. Be careful to not poke through the skin.
  5. Stir the cheese sauce. Scoop the mixture back into the spaghetti squash skins (in the baking dish) and divide the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes and then broil until the top is golden and bubbly. Garnish with extra chives.
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I hope you give this cheesy spaghetti squash a try! Let me know in the comments below.

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Cheesy spaghetti squash topped with fresh chives.

This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated in 2022 with a recipe card, new text, and more to improve reader experience.

Check out these other side dish recipes: 

Smoky Lemon Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Smoked Paprika Delicata Squash Sticks

Yellow Summer Squash Casserole 

Broccoli Stem Slaw w/ Cranberries

13 comments:

  1. This looks so cheesy and delicious! They are still selling spaghetti squash at my local grocery store, so I can give this a try. I'm excited for summer and grilling season too!!!

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  2. looks great! we grilled out for the first time yesterday...so fun :)

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  3. I'll take a winter squash anytime of the year! Looks cheesy & delicious! Hope you're feeling wonderful, Amy :)

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  4. Wow Amy, this looks so good...I love spaghetti squash...and the idea of cheesy is just fantastic!
    Have a great week :)

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  5. All this cheese heaven cannot possibly left me uninterested! What a delicious treat!

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  6. I'm feeling quite guilty about the spaghetti squash sitting in my garage right now in the wood bin. My mom tossed me 4 of them a month ago and I only managed to use one. So spaghetti squash slacker right here. And I know she's going to ask if I use them so I better get a move on. Think I'll get myself some Yancy's Fancy today and really splurge on this one =)

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  7. We mainly eat spaghetti squash in the fall and winter, but it's readily available throughout the year. No excuse not to have it for Memorial Day! Anyway, this looks terrific -- thanks.

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  8. Love spaghetti squash and love cheese so together the two must be great! Congrats on the new house and grill!

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  9. It looks delicious! Thank you so much for sharing.

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  10. Oh wow! I love anything cheesy!! This looks superb!

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  11. It looks so DELICIOUS! I would make this one immediately if I could find one now!

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  12. I've never been very successful with spaghetti squash, but after seeing this and going through the recipe, I think I need to give it another try. What cheesy goodness!!!

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  13. This looks so good, great idea for using the spaghetti squash!

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