Baked Spaghetti Squash With Jalapeno Cream

Submitted by Meredith .F

"Spaghetti Squash baked mac-n-cheese style! From Sunset Magazine 10/08. I'm posting the recipe as published by Sunset, but I made a few changes that we really enjoyed....I used 1 1/2 cups of the cheese (1 cup mixed in and 1/2 cup sprinkled on top), I used 3 large jalapenos and instead of draining them from the milk I left them in the recipe (nice crunch and color), and I used non-fat milk because that's all we use and I don't think it detracted from the recipe at all. A great comfort food!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs.)
• 2 cups milk
• 2 -3 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more
• butter, for pans
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cut squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon or melon baller to remove seeds and surrounding fiber. Put squash, cut side down, on a lightly buttered baking sheet and bake until tender when flesh is pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes. Or poke several holes in skin of squash with a fork and microwave it on high 10 minutes. Squash should be tender when pierced with a fork; if it isn't, microwave on high in 1-minute intervals until tender. Let sit until cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and jalapeños until bubbles form along the edge of the pan. Remove mixture from heat and let sit 15 minutes. Strain and discard jalapeños.
3. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scrape the strands out of the skin and into a large bowl.
4. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and salt and cook, whisking, until flour smells cooked (like piecrust), about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in jalapeño-infused milk while whisking. Reduce heat to medium and continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture over squash and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a buttered 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with jack cheese and bake until bubbling and brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Reviews

[Pamela H.]

This is so good. I shared it with a neighbor and she liked it also. It's the only way I eat spaghetti squash .

 

[plutodrive]

I have made this for Thanksgiving before and I am making it again this year. It is a wonderful, rich and flavorful recipe as written. It isn't spicy but rather infused with just the pepper's flavor.

 

[coolbean]

I didn't like it at all. I added cumin and ham just to make it edible.

 

[NurseLuvs2Bake]

I made this recipe this week after seeing in Sunset magazine also. We loved it! I followed the original recipe, but I think next time I will increase the cheese a bit. I will probably make this for Thanksgiving.

 

[Kizzikate]

Super Squash! My family loved this. I prepared it as you did with the cheese mixed in & sprinkled on top, and kept the peppers in the milk (used 2%) I agree, keeping the jalapenos in adds to the flavor. Will be making this again for company!!