Vegan Spaghetti Squash Boats with Meatballs

Vegan Spaghetti Squash and Meatball Boats

At some point in my adult life I decided in my mind that I hated spaghetti squash.

I have no actual memory of ever actually eating a spaghetti squash or how it was prepared, I just decided I did not like them, and I would never cook one. Period.

Then recently I saw a spaghetti squash recipe in a magazine that looked amazing. Weird, I know…I hate spaghetti squash. This made me question myself and my stern stance on this noodle imposter squash.

So I decided I would buy a few and try to veganize the recipe I saw. I mean I am grown lady now and should be open to trying something again..right?!?!!? But the more I thought about that recipe, the more I knew my kids would 100% reject it ,and if I were going to try to sell the family on a squash as spaghetti, it better at least involve a vegan meatballs some vegan gooey cheese. Those are two things my family normally agrees on!

So I did just that. I made a batch of easy vegan meatballs, I used beyond meat but you can use any meatball you make. Seitan meatballs, lentil meatballs, or frozen meatballs. Whatever is easy and your preference.

I still want to try and veagnize the original recipe I saw, but a vegetable stuffed with more vegetables is gonna be a slow roll in this house. Baby steps, y’all.

As far as the squash goes, I don’t know why I thought I didn’t like it.?!?! Because once its covered in meatball laden sauce, and gooey vegan mozzarella, it is delicious, super filling, and a nice change from pasta! Not that I have anything against pasta, I mean I LOVE CARBS….but I need to get behind this being a healthier option.

I think these vegan spaghetti squash boats would work well for entertaining. As long as you use a gluten free meat substitute, these boats should be pretty allergy friendly ( you can make the cheese sauce with sunflower seeds instead of cashews, too,) healthy and delicious!!

Plus y’all, any food baked as a boat always just seems more fun! And if you thought you didn’t like spaghetti squash too, maybe this recipe can change your mind. It did mine!

Vegan Spaghetti Squash and Meatball Boats

This recipe will make enough for 2 large spaghetti squash or you can use I squash and have leftover marinara and cheese sauce. The cheese sauce can be refrigerated for up to one week and used on lots of things. The leftover pasta sauce could be refrigerated or frozen. 1 Squash typically serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-2 large spagetti squash

• 1 pound vegan ground “beef” ( we used Beyond Beef)

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 cup vegan bread crumbs

• 1 tablespoon corn or tapioca starch, or one flax egg

• 1 batch Marinara sauce or use store-bought if you prefer

• 1/2 batch of easy vegan all purpose cheese sauce

Homemade Marinara Sauce:

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 1 (14.4 oz) can diced tomatoes

• 1/3 red wine (optional)

• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Prepare the meatballs by mixing the vegan ground “meat” in a bowl with the starch, bread crumbs, garlic and ssteaonings. Using a small 1 inch scoop or a a small spoon, scoop out mixture and roll into small meatballs. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop them in the oven to bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

2. Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half length wise (you will need a good knife as they can be kind of tough to cut.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and turn the squash halves upside down on the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the same oven as the meatballs.

3. If you are making homemade marinara sauce, add the onions and garlic to medium sized sauce pan with a teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes, wine, and seasoning and let simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

4. Once the meatballs are done, add them to the pot with the sauce and let them simmer a bit.

5. Once the squash is tender remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. Once cool, scrape the seeds and stringy part off the top. Once they are cleaned up, use a fork and scrape the “spaghetti” strands loose.

6. Prepare the cheese sauce according to directions.

7. To make the spaghetti squash boats, leave the squash on the the pan you baked them on. Scoop some sauce and meatballs right into the squash. Top with some of the cheese sauce and pop the pan back in the oven until the cheese sauce is bubbling and beginning to brown.

8. To serve, you can cut each boat in half after it has cooled a bit. We consider 1/2 of a boat a serving. But you could also cut each boat into thirds if you are serving children.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers

Vegan Minestrone Soup with Meatballs

Vegan Chorizo Empanadas

Vegan Spaghetti Squash and Meatball Boats

Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni Helper

Raise your hand if you ate your weight in Hamburger Helper as a child….anyone? Beuller?

Maybe it was just me?

My dad was the one who grocery shopped growing up and for the most part, the one who made dinner every night.

Our choices were normally any box of Hamburger Helper in the cabinet, Hormel Chili over rice, or some meat and potatoes. As a kid I had zero complaints. As now a vegan adult, I see the issue.

I do not think I have eaten any Hamburger Helper in nearly 25 years, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss is from time to time, ya know for nostalgia and also because if I am being honest, it really did like it.

Lets break it down shall we. Meat, some kind of carb like noodles or potatoes, and normally some creamy or cheesy sauce. What is not to love, really. Growing up Cheeseburger Helper was my fave! So I felt it was high time I veganize it so I could relive my childhood and share one of my faves with my own kids.

This recipe is super simple. All you need is 1 pound of you favorite vegan ground meat, some noodles and the easiest and most delicious vegan cheddar sauce there ever was.

This dinner comes together quickly, is hearty and full of flavor! Those are my favorite kinds of weeknight dinners.

So even though you can’t dump this all from a box with a smiling white gloved character waving at you, its almost just as easy, and in my honest opinion, way better, and now vegan! Just add a salad or another vegetable side and you have pretty healthy, filling meal in not time at all.

High five to my dad for always cooking for us and teaching me how to grocery shop and coupon, and high five to that white gloved little Hamburger Helper man and his contribution my childhood.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground vegan meat (I used Beyond Beef)

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 cups macaroni noodles

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 1/2 cups water (you can also use veggie stock. If you do, eliminate the Bouillon)

• 2 teaspoons Vegetable Than Bouillon

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 2 teaspoons sugar

CHEESE SAUCE:

• 1 cup cashews or sunflower seeds (plus water for soaking)

• 2 cups water

• 4 talblespoons nutritional yeast

• 4 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste or 1 tablespoon sauerkraut (just cabbage, not the liquid)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add cashews or sunflower seeds to a microwave safe container and cover in water. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain water. If you do not have a microwave you can boil the nuts in a small pot of water for three minutes on the stove top.

2. Add the nuts/seeds and remaining cheese sauce ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and mix on high until the mixture is completely smooth and not bits or nuts or seeds remain. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and and ground vegan meat. Cook unit the meat has browned and seems cooked through.

4. Whisk the Better Than Bouillon into the 2 1/2 cups water (or use vegetable stock.) Add the macaroni noodles, water, seasonings and tomato paste to the pan. Give it a stir. Reduce heat to low and place a lid on the pan.

5. Allow the mixture to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times or until the noodles are al dente, cooked but not quite finished.

6. Pour the cheese sauce into the pan and stir. Allow the sauce to thicken as it heats, stirring as it begins to thicken. Allow the mixture to cook another 5 minutes or so, or until the noodles have finished cooking and the sauce has thickened and is good and creamy.

7. Garnish with fresh parsley or even cilantro (thats my fave) and serve. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Chicken Divan with Jackfruit

Beyond Sausage with Cabbage and Cider

Vegan Cincinnati Pumpkin Chili

Vegan Stuffed Crust Pizza

What’s better than homemade vegan pizza? Well how about homemade STUFFED CRUST vegan pizza!

That’s right, we stuffed our easy vegan all purpose cheese sauce right into the crust! I make a ton of vegan cheeses, even vegan mozzarella that shreds and slices, but honestly this cheese sauce is always my preference for pizza. This cheese is gooey, stretchy, cheesy perfection! No need to ever try another vegan pizza cheese recipes, I promise.

We love pizza night in our house. It’s way cheaper than delivery, plus homemade dough is super simple to make, and everyone gets exactly what they want on top! Win, Win, Win.

If you are feeling too lazy to make your own dough ( I do not judge, really I don’t ) most grocery stores sell a pre-made pizza dough these days.It’s normally vegan but just check the ingredients to make sure!

Plus when you make pizza at home get to add whatever toppings you like, all the cheese you want, and it won’t cost you an arm and leg, because we all know everyone loves to overcharge for vegan food. ( I should write a whole blog post just about how badly that annoys me)

So ditch the pizza delivery, and make pizza night an event at your house with this perfectly gooey, cheesy stuffed crust vegan pizza. I promise its totally worth the effort!!

---

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 batch Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

• Marinara sauce

• Any toppings you like

The Dough:

• 3/4 cups warm water ( around 110 degrees)

• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons oil.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Start by adding warm water, yeast, and sugar to a large bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. The yeast should have created a bubbly foam on top. If the yeast did not bubble and foam it is likely that the water was too hot, and it killed the yeast. I typically just use hot tap water to get the right temp.

2. Add the yeast mixture and remaining dough ingredients to a stand mixer and mix on medium for serval minutes to allow the dough to knead. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a few extra tablespoons of flour. Your goal is a soft dough, but one not sticky. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix the ingredients in a bowl and turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface to knead for 3-5 minutes.

3. Clean out the bowl you used for the water and yeast. Dry it well. and coat the bowl with a little oil. Place the dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise for about an hour or until it had doubled in size. I place my dough in my oven on the bread proof setting, If you do not have a proof setting, you can just place it in oven (turned off) and allow to rise.

4. Prepare cheese sauce according to directions while dough is rising. You want the sauce a little on the thicker side for this recipe.

5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

6. Once dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a clean floured surface and punch the dough down. Stretch the dough into a circle using you hands. The dough will need to be and inch or 2 bigger than your pizza pan. Let gravity work for you when stretching the dough. Sprinkle the pizza pan with a little corn meal if you have it, to help keep the dough from sticking.

7. Make a ring of cheese sauce about once inch away from the edge of the dough, then fold the excess dough over the cheese and press down well to seal. Make sure you have a nice seal with the dough, or it will pop open and cheese will ooze everywhere while baking. You may have to pinch the dough a bit to make sure it seals.

8. Spread sauce over dough, and top with cheese sauce and whatever toppings you like. Bake on the top rack of your oven for 15-25 minutes, or until the crust has browned and the cheese is nice and bubbly and browning. Cook time vill vary depending on thickness of the crust.

9. Allow to cool some before cutting and serving

If you like this recipe, try these:

Muffin Cup Vegan Lasagna

Vegan Italian Noodle Bake

Vegan Italian Potato Roll Up

Vegan stuffed crust pizza with the perrect easy all purpose vegan cheese sacue and homemade vegan dough

Easy Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

One of the most basic and useful recipes I have, is this one. Seriously, it is vegan recipe that first gave me hope that I could do this! I could give up cheese, and survive to tell about it!

This easy vegan all purpose cheese sauce is something I almost always have on hand. It is a very convincing, ooey, gooey, white cheese. It keep well in the fridge and comes together in just minutes!

The base is cashews which work really well for substituting dairy. They break down super well and are extra creamy making them a popular ingredient in vegan cheeses.

If you are allergic to nuts, you can easily sub them out with sunflower or pumpkin seeds!! It works just fine!

You can use this vegan cheese sauce for pizza, pastas, grilled cheese, seriously so many different things.

The longer you cook it, the thicker and stretchier making it work really well as a quick vegan mozzarella. I actually perfect this cheese sauce on pizza and I make a LOT of vegan cheeses, including shredded mozzarella and soft mozzarella. This sauce is just so quick and so delicious I see no need to make things harder than they need to be!

The spice profile is pretty basic and can be changed up depending on what you are using it for.

Also check out our cashew queso recipe. It has a nice spicy kick and works well for quesadillas, and enchiladas, and tacos.

---

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cashews

• 2 cups water, plus water for soaking nuts

• 4 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1/4 cup Sauerkraut, no juice

• 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast (I tend to lean towards being more heavy handed with the nutritional yeast. Adjust to your taste)

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

---

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place cashews in a microwave safe container and cover in water. Microwave for 3 minutes. Drain water and rinse. If you do not have a microwave, you can boil them in a pot of water for 5 minutes or you can soak them for a few hours in hot water.

2. Add drained cashews, 2 cups clean water, and remaining ingredients to a high speed blender and process until the mixture is totally and completely smooth. This may take a minute or two of blending.

3. Transfer mixture to a medium sized pot over medium heat. Heat the mixture for a few minutes, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Once desired consistency, remove from heat. If it gets too thick, you can add a little more water to thin it back out.

4. Depending on what I am using the sauce for, depends on how thick I will allow it to get. If using it for pizza, then I will let it get pretty thick so I can dollop it on top of the pizza. If using it in a lasagna or in enchiladas, I will keep it at a thick pudding constancy so it’s easier to spread. You can use it as an alfredo sauce, just keep it on the thinner side. Feel free to add any extra spices depending on what you are using it for!

---

You can use this sauce for:

pizza, lasagna, enchiladas, as an alfredo sauce, stuffed shells, calzones, quesadillas, mac and cheese, cheese spread for sandwiches, grilled cheese, just to name a few

If you like this recipe, try these:

Cashew Queso

“Meaty” Cheddar Queso

Spicy Vegan Queso, Nut Free

---

My favorite vegan cookbook is “Veganize It!” by Robin Robertson. I adapted and made some changes to her recipe for cashew pizza “cheese” to create this basic all purpose cheese sauce. If you are in the market for some great vegan cook books, be sure to check her’s out. Find a copy of Vegaize It at amazon or a local bookstore. I can not praise this woman enough.

Easy all purpose cashew based vegan cheese sauce. Perfect for vegan pizza, pasta, or sandwiches!