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You are here: Home / All Recipes / Simple Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

October 27, 2015 By Nancylynn 27 Comments

Simple Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

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Simple Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce is the comfort food you’re craving, slow cooked in a 21 Day Fix approved meal.   And newly updated with Instant Pot instructions, too! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.

Confession #61- I used to be terrified of leaving the crock pot on while at work.

I know.  It’s the whole freaking point, right?

I never said my fear was rational!

And so I used to cook my crock pot meals overnight.  I guess I figured a fire breaking out while I was sleeping was better than it happening while I was at work.

Great idea, right?  Until about 2 am.

Have you ever tried to sleep with a delicious pork roast or pot of tortilla soup cooking down the hall?

It’s not easy, people.

So I decided to face my fear in the name of a full night sleep and I haven’t looked back since.

ingredients needed to make a simple Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

Last week I tried a new slow cooker recipe, and I have been SO excited to share it with you.  It’s inspired by Skinnytaste’s Crock Pot Sauce, which I make a lot, but I put my own spin on it, using ground turkey and spaghetti squash.

And I cooked my spaghetti squash RIGHT IN THE CROCKPOT!!!!

Yes, I yelled that last line.

I want to shout it from the rooftops!!

You can cook a spaghetti squash in a CROCKPOT!!!!

Crock Pot spaghetti squash with meat sauce

No – this isn’t some scary Halloween decoration! It’s DINNER!

Ok.  I am done now.  I hope you are as excited as me, because this simple Crock Pot spaghetti squash with meat sauce was easy, delicious, and my new favorite way to make spaghetti squash.  And for those of you who aren’t fans of turkey sausage (can we talk about why?), using ground turkey for this was perfect.  My husband actually thought it was sausage.

crock pot sauce and spaghetti squash

Looks much better finished, huh?

I hope you enjoy this simple crock pot spaghetti squash and meat Sauce recipe!

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21 Day Fix dinner: Simple Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

Simple Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce

  • Author: NancyLynn Sicilia
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

Simple Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce is the comfort food you’re craving, slow cooked in a 21 Day Fix approved meal.   And newly updated with Instant Pot instructions, too!


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 medium to large spaghetti squash, washed
  • 2 tsp olive oil (I used my Tuscan Herb EVOO from The Bodacious Olive)
  • 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1.5 lb organic ground turkey (or ground beef if you would rather!)
  • 2 (28 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • Crushed red pepper (to taste)
  • Salt, Pepper (to taste)
  • Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Crock Pot

  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic until golden on both sides. Be very careful not to burn it! Remove garlic from the pan and add your turkey. Cook through and season to taste with Italian Seasoning and Crushed Red Pepper.
  2. Add garlic and turkey to the crock pot and cover with both cans of crushed tomatoes.
  3. Carefully cut your spaghetti squash in half around the middle. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and membranes. Place cut sides down in crock pot. If your cover doesn’t fit over tightly, place some foil under it to ensure the squash can steam.
  4. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours. Check on the squash by sticking them with a fork. If it goes in easy, it’s done! Let them cool in a separate bowl for a bit or risk some crazy burns.
  5. Remove squash from shell using a fork; discard the shell. Drain in a colander if squash seems watery. You can even use a cheesecloth to strain further. If your sauce is on the thin side because of the squash, cook it uncovered in the crock on HIGH for a bit to thicken it up before serving. Serve squash with sauce from Crock Pot and top with Parmesan.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn IP to saute. Add olive oil and cook the garlic until golden on both sides. Be very careful not to burn it!
  2. Remove garlic from the IP and add your turkey. Cook through on saute and season to taste with Italian Seasoning and Crushed Red Pepper. Return garlic to pan and cover with both cans of crushed tomatoes.
  3. Wash your spaghetti squash and stab it all around with a sharp knife. Place in your Instant Pot on top of sauce. Place cover on IP and turn to manual, high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Switch to quick release after cook time is finished.
  4. Remove squash from pot and let cool in a separate bowl for a bit or risk some crazy burns. Cut squash and remove strands from shell using a fork; discard the shell. If your sauce is on the thin side because of the squash, turn it back to saute and cook uncovered in the IP for a bit to thicken it up before serving. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Makes 6 servings

My plate was 1 cup of Squash (I also added some spinach for extra GREEN), 1 cup of Sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan. I counted it as 2 GREEN, 1 RED, 1/2 BLUE.

WW Freestyle: 2 points per serving

Keywords: dinner, slow cooker, italian, poultry, meat, instant pot, low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free, high protein

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @confessionsofafitfoodie on Instagram and hashtag it #confessionsofafitfoodie

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash | Confessions of a Fit Foodie

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Cooking Method, Courses, Dairy-Free, Diet, Dinner, GF + DF, Gluten-Free, Ingredient, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Paleo + Whole 30, Poultry, Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Squash Tagged With: crock pot, make ahead, spaghetti squash

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather B says

    April 3, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    Pinned it! Wish I could find organic ground turkey! Thanks for sharing your recipes and container break down.

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      April 5, 2016 at 12:10 pm

      Hi! Do you have a Costco nearby? They always have it!

      Reply
    • Heather B says

      August 5, 2017 at 2:29 am

      Hmmm. I’m Heather B too. Hope I’m not responding to my own post. Heh heh. Anyway, I found organic turkey at Target last night.

      Reply
      • Nancylynn says

        August 5, 2017 at 1:42 pm

        LOL! I think you might be! 🙂 And yay – I hope you love this dish!

        Reply
  2. Kim says

    March 28, 2017 at 1:56 am

    How would you do this in the instant pot?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      March 28, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      I just updated the directions for IP! Great idea 🙂

      Reply
  3. Cheryl Vanicek says

    August 12, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    You didn’t cut the squash before cooking in the Instant Pot? Just pierced it? Did you scoop out the seeds after cooking, when you cut it in half?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      August 13, 2017 at 12:29 pm

      yes!!

      Reply
  4. Janet Marie says

    September 24, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    This may be a dumb question, but I don’t cook much. If I wanted to freeze this recipe for later, what ingredients can freeze and what can wait until cook time? Could I put it all in a baggie together pre-measured?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      September 25, 2017 at 11:48 am

      Hi! So I haven’t done it, but I researched and it seems like you CAN freeze spaghetti squash. I would maybe separate the sauce into baggies and then measure the spaghetti squash into a separate baggie so it doesn’t water down your sauce. Make sense?

      Reply
  5. Lynda says

    October 16, 2017 at 4:40 am

    Late joiner – love your recipes!!!! Found you by searching google for “21 day fix, recipes, grocery list” 🙂 Thank you so much for helping me keep my family happy & leading us to a healthier path!!!

    1 Tip I recently found on spaghetti squash. After you cut in half, cover liberally with salt & let sit for 15 minutes. The salt will draw a lot of water out. After 15, wipe off all the salt & water. Complete recipe. No more soggy spaghetti squash ?

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      October 16, 2017 at 12:44 pm

      Yay! I am so glad you found me and that the blog is helping…nothing makes me happier! And thank you for sharing that awesome tip – I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
  6. Megan says

    January 6, 2018 at 11:52 pm

    I just tried to make this in the IP and my sauce burnt to the bottom two different times. I couldn’t get it to pressure up because it kept burning. Any advice or tips? I added some water to it to try to get it to not burn but that didn’t work either. 🙁

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      January 7, 2018 at 1:08 am

      First question – what size is your Instant Pot?

      Reply
      • Megan says

        January 7, 2018 at 2:25 am

        It is an 8 quart

        Reply
        • Nancylynn says

          January 7, 2018 at 2:42 am

          Ugh…ok. I am have seen several burn messages on different recipes with 8 quart pots. I am going to need to figure out why that’s happening. Did you ever get it to work?

          Reply
          • Megan says

            January 7, 2018 at 3:49 am

            I did not. After two attempts i just cooked the spaghetti squash and threw the meat sauce on the stove. I added 2 cups of water the second time and it still did it. Not sure why either. Kind of crazy that some people have no issues. I washed and dried the burned parts off, then added the sauce and water.. i thought for sure that would have solved it. I’m going to do some investigating and see if I can figure it out!

          • Nancylynn says

            January 7, 2018 at 1:22 pm

            I will do the same! I am so sorry, Megan!

          • Megan says

            January 7, 2018 at 3:43 pm

            No worries! I cooked it separate and it was still delicious!! I’m new to IP so it’s all a learning process!

          • cherie says

            March 9, 2020 at 10:36 pm

            I also got the Burn notice 2 times in my * quart. When I opened the pot it wasn’t burnt or stuck at all. So I decided to try it on LOW PRESSSER. It was perfect!

  7. Emily M says

    March 6, 2018 at 8:58 pm

    Are you from Pensacola?!? Oh I miss the bodacious olive/brew ♥️♥️♥️

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      March 10, 2018 at 4:52 pm

      I am not, but my mother in law lives there! We visited the Bodacious Olive and I fell in love! I want to cook in that demo kitchen!

      Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      April 10, 2018 at 6:24 pm

      Hi! No – my mother in law is, though! I love the Bodacious Olive!

      Reply
  8. Kerri says

    March 31, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    I just wanted to double check.. you need 2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes?? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nancylynn says

      April 10, 2018 at 6:20 pm

      Yes!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 21 Day Fix Dinner Plan & Grocery List (week 5) - Confessions of a Fit Foodie says:
    February 19, 2017 at 11:44 am

    […] Monday:  Simple Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce {21 Day Fix} […]

    Reply
  2. The Ultimate 21 Day Fix Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plan – New Leaf Wellness says:
    June 16, 2017 at 11:48 am

    […] Squash with Meat Sauce from Confessions of a Fit Foodie (2 green, 2/3 red, 1/2 […]

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