American Chop Suey Stuffed Squash

I’m totally into any recipe where I can eat the bowl…

…I could go on forever. But I won’t because getting you this recipe is TOP of my priority list.

This was one of those impromptu recipes that came together and made me want to dance around my kitchen singing “All I do win win win” but instead I instagramed the eff outta it in my stories and took some pictures for this post.

I really love taking pictures of food if you couldn’t tell so I am anxiously awaiting the next iPhone release so I can upgrade from my iPhone 7 and finally get on the portrait mode bandwagon. Check out portrait mode if you haven’t yet. It’s LEGIT.

And if you are looking for a hearty, warm you from the inside out type of recipe then this is for you! And don’t forget to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram so I can see what you are making > @emilyjgoodman

American Chop Suey Stuffed Squash

Author: Emily Goodman

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 8, 1/2 squash each

Ingredients

4 small round squash (you could use zucchini as well)
2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1 small onion, [i]diced[/i]
1 medium carrot, [i]diced small[/i]
1lb lean 85/15 ground beef
2 cloves garlic, [i]minced[/i]
3oz tomato paste
1 28oz can whole tomatoes (I use [url href=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEJ8F6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000SEJ8F6&linkCode=as2&tag=emilyjgoodman-20&linkId=05c588a090ff4ea8eb2618466f4b7b65″ target=”_blank”]San Marzano[/url])
1 tablespoon [url href=”http://amzn.to/2fmp2rJ” target=”_blank”]agave nectar[/url] (or honey)
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (trust me!!)
Salt and pepper to taste (I use [url href=”http://amzn.to/2fmFpUY” target=”_blank”]pink Himalayan salt[/url])
4 cups whole wheat cooked elbow macaroni

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and flesh.
Brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
While the squash is cooking heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large deep skillet.
Add the onion and carrot and saute until soft and translucent, approx. 4-5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and break up with a spoon until browned and cooked through, approx. 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently making sure it doesn’t burn.
Add the can of whole tomatoes, agave nectar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Gently break up the whole tomatoes with a spoon so they start to break down and become liquid.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer and let cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and let cool slightly.
Add the cooked macaroni to the meat sauce.
Ladle in 3/4 cup servings of the American chop suey into each squash half.
Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Portion Fix container equivalents per serving: 1 green, 1 yellow, 1/2 red, 1 spoon[br][br]> Since I use an extremely minimal pinch of Parmesan cheese I do not count it[br]> Also I know people are going to ask me how I calculated the meat to be 1/2 red and honestly, I eyeballed it because it was not super simple to calculate. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about making good healthy choices!![br][br]Optional: top each with 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese and place back in the warm oven to melt. If you do this count the mozzarella as 1/2 a blue if following the portion fix container system.