Whether you’re intentionally eating low-carb or just trying to find ways to feed your family more vegetables, this slow cooker meal is one we’ve been eating at least once a month for years! If you’re new to spaghetti squash, I don’t really even think it tastes like squash, and it really does get stringy and looks like spaghetti! It tastes a bit like —- nothing? Which is great because it takes on the flavor of whatever you put on it. In this case hearty marinara and meatballs!

If you’re serving people who are like “ummm where’s the spaghetti?”, you can do what we do to fool our kids - do a combination of angel hair pasta and the spaghetti squash. This trick also works on veggie-phobic husbands.

As like most of my recipes, this is more of a method than a recipe. Use whatever pasta sauce and style/brand of meatballs you prefer. We always make it with the Aidell’s chicken meatballs, but that’s because one of my children won’t eat beef.

One of the main reasons this recipe is on our rotation so often is because it is little to no prepwork. You don’t have to brown anything before you put it in the slow cooker. Heck, I buy pre-diced onions these days so all I have to do is slice the squash and open some packaging. Six hours later I have a healthy, home cooked dinner for my family!

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Hands On Time: 5 minutes

Hands Off Time: 6-7 hours

Serves: 4 - 6 (depends on size of humans/appetites)

Ingredients

1 onion diced (I am a lazy person these days and often buy pre-diced onions. I use about a cup diced)
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
1 package (12 oz) refrigerated meatballs (we use Aidell’s Italian Chicken Meatballs, but use whatever you have/find. I haven’t done with frozen meatballs, but I’m sure it’d work just as fine, it just might water down the sauce a bit).
1 large spaghetti squash (note spaghetti squash is not those yellow squash that look like zucchini. This is roughly the size of a human head. I’ve had grocery delivery people mess this one up before).
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (optional)
1 tsp garlic salt (optional)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
grated Parmesan for serving

Directions:

In the bottom of a large slow cooker, empty a jar of marinara sauce.
Add in the diced onions and any additional seasoning (garlic slat, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes). Stir to incorporate.
Cut spaghetti squash in half crosswise (hamburger style not hotdog). You need a VERY large sharp knife (btw this knife sharpener is $11 and works wonderfully). You may need to poke the squash with a knife to score it a few times before you can fully slice through. Go slow and be careful.
Place squash cut side down on top of sauce. You’ll know you’ve done it right if it looks like two boobs in your slow cooker (sorry, but that really is the best description of what it looks like!).
Sprinkle meatballs around the outside and between the squash. Try to get most of them touching the sauce at least partially.
Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours.
After cook time has elapsed, remove the squash (be careful it will be soggy and squishy now!) and once cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds and use a fork to shred the flesh into the spaghetti-like strands. Set in a colander and press gently to remove some excess water. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
To serve, scoop some squash in a shallow bowl, top with the sauce and meatballs. Parmesan and red pepper flakes make a lovely garnish!