Casseroles are not photogenic. Especially when you forget to buy some sort of pretty herb to sprinkle on top to salvage the photos. Parsley is my savior. Photos aside, this comfort dish is SO good and one of my new favorite dinners/lunches/breakfasts. I’ve eaten it for all of those meals and loved it each time.
Growing up, my mom never made Sloppy Joe’s. She made other things like the best cheese quesadillas and peanut butter and sugar (weird) sandwiches, but no Sloppy Joe’s. I actually feel somewhat lucky that she never made them for us since I am very aware of what goes into the traditional version, and it’s basically just a lot of sugar. High fructose corn syrup in the ketchup and lots of brown sugar. For a dish that’s geared toward kiddos, you can expect a pretty hyper, unfocused kid after they eat a traditional Sloppy Joe.
This version doesn’t have any added sugar, and I used organic ketchup which ensures you won’t be using high fructose corn syrup. I decided to make it into a casserole because I just love spaghetti squash casseroles these days but you could either serve the Sloppy Joe mix on top of spaghetti squash noodles or on a bun of your choice.
Enjoy this healthier twist on a childhood classic. You and your family will love it!
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef, or organic ground turkey
- half of a green pepper - diced
- half of a red pepper - diced
- 1 small onion - diced
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 c organic ketchup - try to avoid the brands with High Fructose Corn Syrup
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 c veggie broth
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 eggs - whisked
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds
- Place the two halves face-down onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes
- While the squash bakes, prepare the sloppy joe mixture
- Preheat a large skillet on medium-high heat
- Add the ground meat and saute until brown then remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl and set aside
- Add the coconut oil to the pan and saute the peppers, onions, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes, or until soft
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire, broth, ketchup and garlic and cook for another few minutes, then set aside
- When the spaghetti squash is out of the oven, scrape the inside to form the noodles, and place them into a casserole dish
- Add the sloppy joe mixture and the eggs and stir very well to combine
- Bake for 45 minutes in the 350 F. oven
So rich and satisfying, but healthy at the same time! I used a small spaghetti squash and only cooked it for 28 minutes which was perfect. Really enjoyed this and so did my husband who doesnt normally like spaghetti squash.
So happy to hear that Heidi! I love this casserole 🙂
This was SO delicious! The flavors blended so so well! I made it on Sunday and everyone ate it all up so I made it again on Monday! A huge hit! Thanks SO much!
I’m so glad to hear that Tracy! Also one of our favorites over here 🙂
What would be the nutrition for this? My daughter is newly Diabetic, so I am trying to figure out the carbs?
Hi Tiffany – I’m sorry but I don’t calculate nutrition facts for my recipes! You can definitely plug it into an online nutrition calculator and figure that out.
I mixed this all together and Im going to make it tomorrow after work. Just curious,does the egg hold it together?
Yes the egg holds it together!
Im excited to make this recipe, but I was wondering if I want to meal prep this should I bake it before or after I put it in the freezer?
I would bake it after you freeze it 🙂
I made this today. So yummy!
So happy you loved it. One of our favorites!