spaghetti squash burrito bowls
These spaghetti squash burrito bowls are a weeknight DELIGHT. I borrowed the slicing technique from my stuffed spaghetti squash rings, which makes for a shorter cook time and longer strands. Then, I replaced the lasagna-inspired filling with the best burrito bowl fixings, including black beans, grated cheddar, avocado, and toasted pepitas. I even snuck some cottage cheese in there for extra creaminess and protein 🙂 I hope you love them as much as I do!
how to (safely!) slice a spaghetti squash into rings
First things first: grab your sharpest chef’s knife (I’ve been loving this one lately). This is important anytime you’re slicing, but especially when you’re dealing with an an awkward-shaped veggie (or one that rolls).
Next, make sure your cutting board is sitting securely on your countertop. A heavy wooden cutting board is great here, because it’s unlikely to slip around. If you’re using a plastic (or other lightweight cutting board), place a damp paper towel underneath of it to hold it into place.
Lastly, before slicing, I highly recommend poking the spaghetti squash several times with a fork and microwaving it for 3 to 4 minutes. This will soften it just enough to make slicing a lot easier, but not so much that it will affect its roasting time.
customizing your burrito bowl
There are several ways to customize this recipe to your liking, both in the filling and with the toppings.
In the filling, you get to choose your favorite cheese: cheddar, pepper jack, and monterey jack all work great. You’ll also be spooning some salsa into each bowl, so you can pick your spiciness preference. (I personally like a mild one, because it doesn’t overpower the other flavors and we’ve also got hot sauce and chili powder going on).
As for the toppings, I love a combo of cilantro, avocado, toasted pepitas, plain yogurt, and a squeeze of lime juice, but sky’s the limit on what you want to add! Any classic burrito bowl toppings will be tasty.
spaghetti squash burrito bowls
serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (~2 1/2 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (~15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup 2% or full-fat small-curd cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- hot sauce
- 4 ounces cheddar, pepper jack, or monterey jack cheese, grated (1 cup), divided
- 1/2 cup salsa
- diced avocado, toasted pepitas, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, and/or lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450°F.
- Trim the ends off the squash and slice crosswise into four (1 1/2 to 2-inch) rings. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds. Arrange on a baking sheet.
- Brush both sides of each ring lightly with oil and season all over with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and several grinds black pepper. Roast, flipping halfway through, until the squash flakes easily with a fork but is still al dente, 20 to 25 minutes. (Don’t overcook!)
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the beans, cottage cheese, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, a few dashes hot sauce, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds black pepper.
- Heat the oven to broil. Flip over the end pieces of squash so they’re bowl-shaped. Scrape a few strands of the squash into the center of each ring to fill in the hole and create a nest for the filling (you may not need to do this for the end pieces). Divide the cottage cheese mixture between each ring, followed by salsa (2 tablespoons per ring). Top with the remaining cheese.
- Broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots, 2 to 4 minutes (watch it carefully). Top with your desired toppings: more cilantro, avocado, pepitas, a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, a squeeze of lime, a few dashes hot sauce, etc.
I am looking forward to your fabulous-sounding recipes!
Let me know what you try!!
Absolutely perfect combination 😋❤️
The BEST! 🙂