Gluten-Free Cheesy Veggie Bake

While my family back home on the east coast is getting hit with below zero temperatures and snow, us on the west coast are getting hit with El Niño rains. Not that I'm complaining though because we are in some serious need of rain. I'm pretty sure the palm trees outside are actually clapping with joy and dancing in the rain and not getting whipped around in the wind.

Needless to say, the next two weeks (or however long this stretch of rain lasts) I will be making casseroles and crock-pot meals to help combat the dark and gloomy days ahead. Last night I made one of my favorites and realized that I haven't even shared this on the blog yet. I make it all the time, even in the summer. It's easy to make. The most time consuming part is baking and shredding the spaghetti squash. Otherwise, you just mix everything in your baking pan and pop it in the oven. I've been known to assemble the casserole the day before, store it in the refrigerator, and then pop it in the over the next day. Plus, this is perfect if you are counting calories. It's only 273 calories per serving and this makes 6 huge servings.

recipe adapted from PopSugar

1 whole spaghetti squash
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
16 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Poke spaghetti squash all over with a knife and place the poked squash on a baking pan and bake at 375ºF for 45 to 60 minutes. If you are short on time cook the squash in the microwave for eight to 12 minutes until soft. While it's cooking, add the oil, garlic, pepper, zucchini, and carrots to a pan, cooking over medium heat.
3. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and with a fork, scrape the flesh from the peel. It should flake off easily in strings, resembling spaghetti. Place the spaghetti squash flesh in a casserole dish. Add the cooked veggies, diced tomato, sauce, and most of the cheese and mix well. Sprinkle leftover cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
4. Allow to cool for five minutes, serve, and enjoy.