Creamy Garlic Spaghetti Squash Casserole

The moment we heard about this recipe we had to get it up on our blog and share! It meets all the criteria: Paleo, Gluten Free, Whole 30, Dairy Free and we are eating food that is in season!  This one does take a little longer than some of our others to prep, but you’re yielding enough to eat some for dinner and then a lunch or two.  This is also a good one to freeze for later when you don’t have time to food prep.  Give it a try and tell us what you think!

Ingredients: (serves 6, so this is meal prep at its best)

• 1 medium spaghetti squash

• 4 cups broccoli florets

• 1 lb sausage (spicy Italian, Chorizo, or Turkey are excellent choices)

• 2 cups mushrooms, diced

• 1/4 cup arrowroot flour

• 2 tbsp minced garlic

• 16 oz coconut milk

• Salt and pepper (about 1 tsp each)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.

• Slice the spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the two halves face-down on a baking sheet and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

• While the squash is cooking, get the sausage going. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add in the sausage. Break it into pieces with a spatula and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve at least 1 tbsp of fat in the pan for the sauce you'll make later.

• Remove squash from oven after 30 minutes and set aside to cool. Keep the oven on at 425°.

• While the squash is cooling, prepare the creamy garlic sauce. Heat the same pan you cooked the sausage in over medium heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add in the arrowroot flour and minced garlic and stir around to mix well with the mushrooms, about 1-2 minutes.

• Next, add in coconut milk, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Be sure to mix well to dissolve all of the flour into the milk (you don't want any flour clumps). Use a whisk to mix if needed. The sauce will bubble and thicken, keep stirring to prevent burning. After 2 minutes turn heat down to low and simmer. Stir in salt and pepper.

• Now, put it all together. With a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash "noodles" into a medium casserole dish. Add the cooked sausage, broccoli, and creamy garlic sauce. Mix everything together well.

• Place back in the oven to bake for 15 more minutes. Remove and serve.

  Credit: Justin and Erica with realsimplygood.com