This Creamy Cauliflower Spaghetti Squash Casserole doesn’t make sense in the BEST way. The velvety cauliflower cream sauce, gooey melted cheese, hearty ground turkey, and tender strands of spaghetti squash make it comforting and indulgent, but the macros? Next level. With basic ingredients, literally one pan, and room for dessert, you already know this one’s a keeper!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Ready In: 50 minutes
- Serves: 4 -6 servings
- Calories: 293 cal
- Why You'll Love It: Comfort food meets MAKE ME FIT food. This is so healthy and light, but still super tasty and filling. And there's nothing like pulling out one pan of hot, cheesy food for dinner!
About This Recipe
There was a day when I thought I’d never make something called a casserole. Remember when it meant emptying lots of cans into a dish and calling it dinner? Not the biggest fan of that. But lots of healthy food packed into one dish that comes out of the oven to feed everyone at once without being surrounded by a blown-up kitchen? That I can get behind.
But you know what’s crazier than the ease and yumminess of this cauliflower spaghetti squash casserole? THE MACROS. Insane. This is a huge pan, and I calculated a serving at about 1/4th of it, which is 400g. And it’s less than 300 calories. Which means a full belly PLUS a bigger dessert, and I KNOW how you feel about that.
I made this casserole with leftover cauliflower cream sauce from my Chicken Divan recipe, and guys… it’s a must! Making a fresh batch will work too, and I’ve got a substitution for you down in the recipe card if you need it!
If you love a cozy, macro-friendly casserole that’s high in protein, low in fat and carbs, high in taste and VOLUME, you’ll find lots more recipes like this one in my One-dish meal cookbook!
Here’s What Others Think
“Absolutely amazing! Extremely flavorful with the best macros – so fulfilling!! Definitely worth making the cauliflower sauce – it’s really not too much work, it’s super easy if you follow her shortcuts.” – Alejandra
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Extra lean ground turkey if you want the superhero macros. Just use regular ground turkey if you’re ok with great macros. Beef if you don’t care. Italian sausage if you’re really living on the edge… we could go on!
- Can of tomatoes: Adds that rich, saucy base that ties everything together.
- Fresh spinach: Wilts right into the dish without overpowering it. Kale or arugula work just as well if that’s what you have on hand. Great source of fiber!
- Cauliflower cream sauce: I highly recommend using my homemade cauliflower cream sauce (recipe below), but you could sub in an equal amount of your favorite jarred marinara, and the macros will not be that different. Of course, the whole dish would be more tomatoey, but I’m sure it’d be great!
- Fresh basil: A handful of this at the end makes everything taste brighter and fresher. Don’t skip it if you can help it!
- Spaghetti squash: This summer squash keeps things light and low-carb while still giving you that satisfying, noodle-like texture.
- Mozzarella cheese: That golden, bubbly top layer is everything. I use regular part-skim, NOT low-fat– it’s so light, I figured it could afford a little bit of real cheese flavor! But feel free to sub in what you want.
Dietary Adaptations
GF/DF: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but double-check the label on your canned tomatoes, since some brands sneak in gluten-based thickeners or seasoning blends. To make things dairy-free, swap the mozzarella for your favorite dairy-free shredded cheese (it may not get quite as melty, but it’ll still add that cheesy top), and swap the cauliflower cream sauce with jarred marinara instead.
How to Make
- Cook your spaghetti squash however you like. You can roast it cut side down like Martha Stewart, which is my preferred method. Or just poke it a few times and put the spaghetti squash in the microwave for 5-8 minutes, which is what I did for this! While it’s cooking, continue with the rest of the steps.
- Next, heat a heavy-bottomed shallow pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add diced onions and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender.
- Add ground turkey and seasonings. Once the ground turkey is chopped up and cooked through, you can add more salt to taste if needed.
- Add drained tomatoes and garlic. Cook for another 3 minutes. Then add chopped spinach and mix it in, letting it cook for a couple of minutes to wilt and get nice and mixed in.
- Now stir in 400g of cauliflower cream sauce and the fresh basil (it looks ugly now, but it’s gonna be ok!)
- Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and insides with an ice cream scoop, careful not to pull out too much of the good stuff.
- Using a fork, scrape the squash into strings to get them all loose from the skin and add them to the ground turkey mixture. Mix it all together well in the pan with tongs.
- If you’re using an oven-safe pan, smooth the top of the mixture and top with mozzarella. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes till the top is melty and bubbly. If you want it to brown a bit like mine, broil for an additional 3-5 minutes. But watch it closely so it doesn’t burn!
- If it’s not an oven-safe pan, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, top with cheese, and bake as described.
How To Store For Later
Store your leftover cauliflower spaghetti squash casserole in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure it’s completely cooled before you seal it up, and it should stay fresh and tasty for up to 3 to 5 days.
Helpful Tips
- I recommend making this dish when you’ve ALREADY made a batch of the cauliflower cream sauce because then you can really just dirty the one dish!
- When browning the ground turkey, resist the urge to stir it too much. Let it sit for a minute so it gets a little color, which adds a ton of flavor.
- I like to taste the turkey mixture before adding the cauliflower cream sauce so I can adjust the seasoning first. It’s much easier to tweak at that stage.
- If your pan isn’t oven-safe, just use a 9×13 casserole dish. It works just as well and is super easy to clean up.
- I find tongs are the best tool for mixing the squash strings into the turkey mixture. They give you way more control than a spoon.
Serving Suggestions
Since your giant portion of cauliflower spaghetti squash casserole comes to like 25 carbs, there’s most definitely room for a little bread! My Honey Whole Wheat Bread is perfect for sopping up all the yummy sauciness.
If you live somewhere wonderful with actual winter seasons, I highly recommend eating this casserole in socks and a cozy sweatshirt, followed by pre-dessert hot cocoa with all of your freed-up carbs. I’ll envy you and just keep cranking the AC!
Creamy Cauliflower Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Ingredients
Cauliflower Cream Sauce
- 10 oz cauliflower florets About ½ head of cauliflower
- 4 cups chicken stock (or enough to cover cauliflower in pot- only 1/2-1 cup added in sauce later)
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic (I use frozen Dorot Garden garlic cubes)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup milk I used fat free fairlife milk- best macros but it hardly matters in such a small quantity.
- 1 tsp curry powder (optional)
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- 1 medium to large spaghetti squash (I got 600g of squash out of mine for this recipe)
- 1 lb extra lean ground turkey
- 3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (84g)
- ½ a medium onion diced (200g)
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 14.5 oz can diced or stewed tomatoes, drained
- 5 cloves garlic (I used frozen Dorot cubes)
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped (150g)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 400 g cauliflower cream sauce
Instructions
Cauliflower Cream Sauce
- Bring 4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a large pot (or enough to cover the cauliflower). Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.
- While the cauliflower cooks, sauté the garlic and butter in a large nonstick skillet over LOW heat. Cook for several minutes until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not brown. You don’t want it bitter! Remove from heat and set aside.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to your blender. Add ½ cup of the hot chicken broth, the sautéed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, curry, lemon and milk. Blend or puree for a few minutes until the sauce is very smooth. You can add more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. I prefer at least another ½ cup broth. Discard remaining broth. Set sauce aside.
You can also just steam your cauliflower in a bag – whether you buy fresh or frozen, florets or even riced. I just steam in the bag as directions allow so it’s nice and soft… then throw it in the blender with my sautéed butter and garlic… and the rest of the ingredients. Just 1 cup of chicken broth!
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Cook spaghetti squash however you like. You can roast it cut-side down like Martha Stewart, which is my preferred method. Or just poke it a few times and microwave the whole thing for 5-8 minutes, which is what I did for this! While it's cooking, continue with the rest of the steps.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed shallow pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray, then add diced onions and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender.
- Add ground turkey and seasonings. Once the ground turkey is chopped and cooked through, add more salt to taste if needed.
- Add drained tomatoes and garlic. Cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped spinach and mix it in, letting it cook for a couple of minutes to wilt and fully incorporate.
- Stir in 400g of cauliflower cream sauce and the fresh basil.
- Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds and insides with an ice cream scoop, careful not to pull out too much of the good stuff.
- Using a fork, scrape the squash into strings to loosen them from the skin and add them to the ground turkey mixture. Mix it all together well in the pan with tongs.
- If you're using an oven-safe pan, smooth the top of the mixture and top with mozzarella. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes till the top is melty and bubbly. If you want it to brown a bit like mine, broil for an additional 3-5 minutes. But watch it closely so it doesn't burn!
- If it's not an oven-safe pan, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, top with cheese, and bake as described.
Notes
- I recommend making this dish when you’ve ALREADY made a batch of the cauliflower cream sauce because then you can really just dirty the one dish!
- A sub for the cauliflower sauce: If you don’t already have cauliflower sauce in your fridge like I did, you might not want to go to the trouble of that extra step. You could sub in an equal amount of your favorite jarred marinara, and the macros will not be that different! Of course, the whole dish would be more tomatoey, but I’m sure it’d be great! I love the Victoria Marinara from Costco for just 6 carbs per serving. And if you used it in place of the cauliflower sauce, it would only add about two carbs and less than one gram of fat per serving of casserole. I might add 1-2 more cloves of garlic to the meat mixture with this substitution though, since the cauliflower sauce has a lot of additional garlic in it.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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First time making a recipe from this site. Delicious and the whole family approved!
I cook a lot but am somehow fairly new to spaghetti squash. This recipe is seriously one of the most flavorful things I have ever made. Not runny. So delish. I used jarred marinara as I didn’t have the cauliflower cream sauce but will try that next time. My first recipe of yours and can’t wait to try another!
this was delicious! I would even double the cauliflower cream. It tastes like lasagna and even better the next day, heat up in the air fryer.
Absolutely amazing! Extremely flavorful with the best macros – so fulfilling!! Definitely worth making the cauliflower sauce – it’s really not too much work, it’s super easy if you follow her shortcuts.
I’ve made this following the recipe and it was liked by all! I’m wondering if anyone has tried using frozen mashed cauliflower instead of steaming fresh and then blending together with the rest of the sauce ingredients? Trying to save a step 😉
That’s was astonishingly good. Between te above recipe (including cauliflower sauce), it may seem like A LOT of pepper and garlic, but considering the amount of cauliflower and lean turkey (both of which are essentially tasteless), don’t skimp on either the pepper or garlic.
We really liked this recipe! I used bagged frozen spaghetti squash so I wonder if that is why my dish turned out a little runny. When my husband likes a dish that is healthy and not nurtured with lots of butter, you know it is great. We have loved all of Lillie’s recipes!!
Love this recipe! The cauliflower cream sauce is one of my favorite parts of it. I like to make up extra to keep in smaller servings in the freezer. So good!
A family favorite! The sauce is totally worth the tiny bit of extra effort. A+ as always from Lillie!
Delish. My kids liked it too which is amazing.
The Yummiest! and the portions are huuuuge!
I have never tried this with the CAULIFLOWER sauce, but have always done The version with Marinara instead amd love it!
Love this! Also sub cauli rice for spaghetti squash! Yummy!
yOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS RECIPE! iT’S SO FLAVORFUL AND MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVED IT! THE LEFTOVERS ARE EVEN BETTER! THIS IS ON THE REPEAT LIST IN OUR HOUSE.
Delicious!!
We had THE creamy CAULIFLOWER SPAGHETTI sQuash CASSEROLE for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! How can this taste so good and have such good flavor with so many veggies?? THis Recipe will be in regular rotation in the cooler months. I had zuccHini to use up so i threw that in, too. This was a hit fOr my family. I love it when recipes taste goOd and are gOod fOr you, too.
I’ve made this several times and my whole family loves it!
Another great one
Have come back to this recipe several times for meal prep. I love it for dinners or lunches at work. I have always subbed the jarred marinara sauce and it turns out delicious.
all time favorite
This is one of those recipes you keep on rotation… so good, SOO satisfying.
This was SO delicious!! I followed your exact recipe and I don’t think it was too thick at all. It was nice and creamy and the flavors were great! My husband ate two bowlfuls and wanted more. We had plenty for leftovers. Thanks–this is a keeper!
I have stuffed chicken breast before, with feta cheese and arugula or something like this. And my Family was indeed impressed 😉 The Caprese combo sounds pretty amazing.
What size of baking dish did you use?
Delicious! My first recipe from Lillie and it turned out great. I was hesitant because I didn’t know if the flavor of these recipes were going to be satisfying but definitely isn’t lacking in flavor at all! Very good. I did make that cauliflower sauce and added a lot more garlic because I do that with every dish. I doubled this recipe and since I didn’t have ground turkey I used ground pork instead. I’m sure that messed up the macros but I’ll try it with ground turkey next time. Was great with the pork though! I did pair this with some homemade dinner rolls as well. Will certainly make this again.
I’m not sure how I’m in the minority here but I found this recipe to have way too much garlic. Between the garlic listed in the ingredients plus the garlic from the cauliflower cream sauce it’s all I taste. I wish I had made it with a jar of Rao’s instead of the cauliflower cream.
I too found it too garlic-y. Next time I’ll try marina sauce maybe. This made 2 casseroles for me, and no one in my fam but me is eating it.
Yes I too love winter. You never have to feel guilty about taking the snow day off! Cuddle up with your honey and binge watch. Warmer weather entails so much work! Gardening and such. Plus the heat of warmer seasons, I can do without.. The kitchen is too hot to spend any time there!
I made this yesterday and it was a hit. I will definitely make again and again.
I’m on a very low carb eating plan that allows real, natural fats and meat protein, but does not allow garlic, milk or flour. I’ve discovered since starting this just after Easter that I have a bit of a gluten sensitivity, too, as gluten causes inflamation and achiness in my joints. I’m willing to “cheat” just a smidge by using a very small amount of garlic powder, and I can certainly substitute heavy cream for milk, but I’m not sure what to do to replace the flour. Can it be omitted completely?
This looks really wonderful. I do think spaghetti squash is a great option for enjoying traditional noodle dishes on a grain-free diet. Thanks for posting this on Food Flicks Friday.
Hi there! This was delicious. How many servings does this make? I want to make sure I’m measuring this out correctly. Thanks!
Thank you for this post. I’ve always believed that chicken had to be cooked to 180 using an instant read thermometer to be safe. Always dry. I do more grilling outdoors, but I’ll definitely have to look for one of those pans. Should be good for any type of meat.
Great recipe! Easy to make, and tastes even better once reheated! Love that the cauliflower sauce makes enough for leftovers/other meals. Guilt-free decadence. <3
I was wondering if you had ever made this without the meat? I would like to make it a vegetarian dish but wanted to know your thoughts.
Lillieeeee….you are my hero! Thank you for this AMAZING recipe. How is this SO good!?! You truly are a macro-friendly recipe wizard! Thanks so much for sharing all your goodness.
Thank you for this sweet comment! xo
I have 8 kids ranging in age from 2-14 and every single one LOVED this! We are having it for the 2nd time tonight and they were so excited. My two year old had four large servings last time. So so good!!
Oh my gosh I’m so happy to hear that!
I’ve loved every recipe or inspiration for a recipe I’ve tried of yours! Thank you so much for creating these macro friendly yummies! I have really been craving vegetables and this hit the spot!
Yay! Thank you for the feedback!
Keep the fall recipes coming! A few years ago I got called for grand jury duty and put it off, then got called for county!! Some luck I have lol. Only went one day and it wasn’t that bad. Good luck
I am someone who doesn’t likes veggies AT ALL. I was trying to branch out but seriously didn’t have super high hopes for this recipe because it’s basically packed with vegetables. I made it and lo and behold, I loved it. It has great flavor and it does not taste like I am eating a bowl of spaghetti squash with a cauliflower sauce. It is my new and improved comfort food. I actually crave this now and always keep it in my fridge for a quick and healthy meal option. It tastes just as good throughout the week as it does the first time. Lillie, you are so good at what you do!
Oh my gosh this makes me so happy thank you!
This is insanely good, but I’m not surprised in the least. All the recipes of yours that I’ve tried have been crazy good. YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE!!! Seriously, crunch wrap – game changer, protein milk shake amazingness – game changer, Carnitas – game changer. I can’t thank you enough for all your wonderful recipes. This spaghetti squash casserole tastes so decadent and delicious and creamy, it seriously is heavenly. Thank you so so much for making and sharing your delicious food!
Oh I’m so glad you love it!
HI! i will make this on my next round. But one question, the entire casserole is 400g? or is that what “my” serving will be while tracking my macros? Thank you so much!
That is what your serving will be! It’s huge!
I finally made this after meaning to since I found your page on Instagram moons ago. It is absolutely delicious!! I made double so I could freeze one casserole as I am meal prepping for the arrival of a new baby – and I am SO glad I did. I am not sure how it will freeze and reheat, but I’m looking forward to my next meal of this either way! Thank you!
I’m so glad! And while I haven’t popped on in the freezer yet, I’ve heard from readers who have and say it turns out great. Let me know! And good luck with the upcoming baby Michelle! So exciting. xo
I want to make this and also freeze a casserole. Do you know if people are leaving the cheese off before they freeze??? Or if it freezes well after its been cooked ed with the cheese. So many questions. Lol
Shoot I wish I knew! I haven’t actually frozen this one. But I wouldn’t worry about the cheese.. I’m sure it’d freeze and then bake just fine! I’d only worry about the wateriness of the spaghetti squash…
Hi! I was wondering if the original commenter tried to freeze and how it went. Planning to make a double batch this weekend, and I would like to freeze one.
Loved it! All the garlic and creaminess oh my! Huge portion, as I was eating I kept thinking “ this can’t be right” 😂
That’s my goal! Ha!
I can’t wait to try! Can you tell me how many oz of the cauliflower cream sauce to add? I don’t have a scale to measure 400g
About 14!
Where is the recipe for cauliflower cream sauce
SO sorry for my delay! It’s linked in this recipe … did you already find it? The original recipe is in this pasta bake recipe. https://lillieeatsandtells.com/skinny-mushroom-and-thyme-pasta-bake-with-chicken-and-creamy-cauliflower-sauce/
This recipe is FABULOUS! It’s a household favorite ! Even my 5 and 7 year old love it. The macros are amazing and the taste makes you feel like you’re totally cheating. Such a win! Bonus she mentioned once, if you make the cauliflower cream sauce and have too much just freeze 400g in a bag to make next time a quick fix! And trust me there will absolutely be a next time. Enjoy !
Amazing!!!! All of my kids loved it. The cauliflower sauce is so good and blend of seasonings with spaghetti squash is just perfect!
Oh my goodness I have been eyeing this one for a while. I finally made it tonight!!! As always soooo delicioso! Your recipes make me excited to eat and log. Thank you thank you for being such a yummy human being, who has loves making yummy eat very fitable food.
AH! You’re welcome! Love this comment haha. xo
Oh my goodness! This was an amazing recipe, Lillie! All of my kids devoured it and that is amazing to me!! I have very picky eaters. It is sooo flavorful and I’m still trying to understand the awesomeness of the macros! Yayyy! So much win! This casserole will be made again and again!
I’m so glad! This is the best thing to hear!
Just made this and can’t wait to have a heaping helping! The cauliflower cream sauce is a revelation!
The HEAPING helping is the best part!! Hope you loved it!
This dish was SO delicious, easy, and husband approved! The cauliflower cream sauce is AMAZING. This will definitely be going into heavy rotation at my house, thank you!!
I’m so glad you loved it Andrea! Thanks for letting me know!
How do you recommend to best change the macros if I used 93% ground turkey?
Heather! So sorry I’m just getting to this! Ok, I would just figure you’re getting about a 4 oz serving of the ground turkey in a full serving of this casserole.. so I’d guess you got about 7 more grams of fat per serving and just about 3 or 4 fewer grams of protein.
Every bite got better and better! My husband wasn’t sure about it at first, didn’t like the look of it? But even he went back for seconds. Will definitely make again! Thank you for the “lillie size portion” too!
Taryn! Thanks for this comment and I’m so glad it was a hit! And that I’m not the only one who appreciates volume- haha.
How do you weigh out your spaghetti squash? Do you weigh it after it’s cooked and input the cooked weight in MFP? It’s the one veggie that I always get confused about when it comes to macro counting.
Good question! I’ve compared a ton of listings for nutrition facts and luckily the steamed and fresh come out SO close. Like 6 or 7 carbs per 100 grams. So I’m not too worried about it either way. But I log a “steamed spaghetti squash” and weigh it after I pull it from the skin. I remember feeling the same way though!
Great – thank you very much! I’m making this recipe for tonight’s supper 🙂
This looks delish Lillie! I am definitely putting it in this week’s menu. Also fasting from social media & loving it so much! You’re one of my faves to follow otherwise. 💜
Karli @healthconfessions
Thank you Karli! And I hope you like it!