Spaghetti squash boats loaded to the max with lighter turkey chili and plenty of gooey cheese on top!—An easy and healthier way to enjoy Cincinnati-style chili.
There is no such thing as a mid-weekday that can’t be brightened up CHEESE. And chili. And squash. And more cheese.
Eat and repeat until Friday rolls around.
Friends, if you’ve been looking for a justifiable excuse to eat all the gooey cheese while at the same time staying semi-healthyish, I’ve totally got every reason you need here today.
It comes in the form of chili. Cincinnati-style chili made healthy by use of the exalted spaghetti squash. And cheese.
And more cheese.
Holy to the MOLY…♥
These squash boats. Guys, they are EVERYTHING. Everything you could ever ask of an innocent little spaghetti squash. Everything you could ever want in life. I’m freaking out over these, can you tell? There’s no slowing down a girl’s excitement over things like this.
And I’ve absolutely been counting down the seconds til just the right time to share them with y’all chili and cheese lovers. The time is NOW.
So my mom and I are not-so equally obsessed with these spaghetti squash boats. I tried to tell her that I love them more, but she insists that SHE loves them waaaay more than I do. Not likely, Mom.
The second time I made these last week was to photograph them, and since I do my photography in the mornings, they sat all day in the fridge in the basement unknown to everyone in the world except me. Except I nearly forgot that they were even there.
My mom and I decided to do the grocery shopping that afternoon and I swear, if I hadn’t noticed the spaghetti squash in produce aisle, I would have completely spaced out Mom’s and my new favorite dinner patiently waiting for us at home.
Once I realized this I was like, “MOM! Do you know what’s going to be our dinner tonight??”
“You made those squash boat thingies again, didn’t you.”
then…
“Okay, split up so we can cover more ground faster. HUSTLE, Sarah! We need to get home!”
I’m not even kidding or exaggerating, guys. These spaghetti squash boats are really, really, really just all that awesome.
And you’re probably going to love them with all your heart and soul, but again, not even close to as much as Mom and I do.
Would it help my cause if I said pretty please make these squash boats NOW?? Mid-morning snack, lunch, dinner, dessert, midnight snack—it can totally fit into any of your desired meal categories.
Or all of them.
Cincinnati Turkey Chili Spaghetti Squash Boats
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 small sweet pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup diced tomatoes drained
- 3/4 cup black beans drained
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- Cut each spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds. Rub interior of each half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay squash halves, cut side-down on prepared baking sheet and bake at 400F 30-35 minutes or until squash is fork-tender. Remove from oven, cool slightly, then use a fork to shred the inside of squash boats into noodles. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground turkey, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic until turkey is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Reduce heat to medium and add diced tomatoes, black beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer until heated through and bubbly.
- Divide chili mixture between spaghetti squash bowls. Top with shredded cheese and parsley on top. Bake spaghetti squash boats at 400F 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is bubbly. Enjoy warm!
Nutrition
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