These Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats are healthy, easy to make and so filling! Top with your favorite enchilada toppings and enjoy for a vegetarian family dinner!
I can’t believe I’ve gone all winter without posting a spaghetti squash recipe! I love spaghetti squash because it’s really easy to prepare and is the perfect sub for regular pasta. It also has zero Weight Watchers points (did I mention I’m on WW to help me lose some stubborn baby weight?). These Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats are comfort food at its healthiest!
Winter squash can be a little intimidating if you’re not sure how to cook it, but it’s actually so easy! The easiest way to cook most winter squash, including spaghetti squash, is to cut it in half, scoop out the insides, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast until fork tender. You can then scrape out these wonderful, long noodly pieces. Hence the name spaghetti squash 🙂
What You’ll Need for this Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boat Recipe
- Spaghetti Squash – spaghetti squash comes in all different sizes. I used a small sized one for this recipe and each half generously fed one person. If you use an extra large spaghetti squash, it will probably feed four people and you can cut each half in half again just before serving.
- Enchilada Filling Ingredients – I chose to use onion, green pepper, black beans and corn. You can get creative here and use whatever filling you like. Feel free to use different veggies and a different kind of bean. I also added in some Mexican themed spices for extra flavor.
- Enchilada Sauce – I used store-bought enchilada sauce in this recipe. My favorite brand of enchilada sauce is the Hatch brand. If using a new brand, make sure to taste the enchilada sauce before using to make sure it’s not too spicy.
- Cheese – The cheese here is totally optional and I only use it to top them with. I used extra sharp cheddar cheese because I love the taste. If you are dairy free, you can either leave out the cheese or use vegan cheese.
What Is A Spaghetti Squash Boat?
The term spaghetti squash “boat” comes from the fact that when you cut them in half they kind resemble boats. And then you can stuff a bunch of delicious ingredients inside! For these spaghetti squash boats, I like to remove all of the roasted spaghetti squash, cut it up into bite size pieces, mix it with the other filing ingredients and then put it all back into the boats. It’s kind of like a twice baked potato!
How To Make Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats
There are a few steps to this recipe but all are easy!
- You start by roasting your spaghetti squash. I cut mine in half, scoop out the insides and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. I then roast my spaghetti squash, cut side up, until fork tender. Let cool and then scoop out all the squash and dice it up.
- While spaghetti squash is roasting, sauté your veggies. Then add, beans, spaghetti squash, spices and enchilada sauce. Stir together and then scoop back into your spaghetti squash boats. It’s ok if you have a little extra leftover, it will depend on how big your spaghetti squash was.
- I then top mine with a sprinkle of cheese and bake until bubbly and cheese is melted!
These Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats are really so simple to make! They’re also easy to customize depending on your family’s taste.
How To Pick A Spaghetti Squash
It can be tough figuring out which spaghetti squash is the ripest! They have a really hard skin, whether they’re ripe or not so pushing on it might not always be the best way to decide. If, however, the spaghetti squash has a lot of give when you push on it, it is most likely overripe.
A good spaghetti squash should be round, firm, heavy and free of spots or cracks. also avoid spaghetti squash that doesn’t have the stems still intact.
To make this recipe vegan:
Omit cheese or use vegan cheese.
To make this recipe gluten free:
Make sure you are using a gluten free enchilada sauce
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Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
These Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats are so hearty and filling! They’re easy to make and perfect for a delicious vegetarian dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 small sized spaghetti squash
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup diced onion
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup corn kernels, I used frozen
- 1/2 cup diced green Chile, I used canned
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
- 2 oz grated cheddar cheese
- Optional toppings: greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, onion, tomato, hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut spaghetti squash in half, vertically, and then use a spoon to scoop out the insides. Rub each half with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place squash, cut side up, on a large baking sheet and roast until fork tender, 40-50 mins. You can also do cut side down but I prefer cut side up.
- Once spaghetti squash is done roasting, let cool for a few minutes and then use a fork to scrape out all the spaghetti “noodles”. Dice them up in bite size pieces.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, onion and green pepper. Cook until tender, 5 minutes. Next, add in the beans, corn, spaghetti squash, spices and salt and pepper. Stir together and then add the enchilada sauce. Mix once more and then scoop mixture equally back into spaghetti squash skins. There’s a chance you might have a little left over, depending on how big your spaghetti squash is.
- Sprinkle the top with 1 oz cheese and bake until filling is bubble and cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before enjoying.
Notes
1 spaghetti squash boat = 7 Freestyle Weight Watchers Points (points may vary depending on what brand of ingredients you use)
If you’re using a medium to large spaghetti squash, recipe will make more than 2 servings. Mine was small and 1/2 was just enough for one person.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
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