Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs With Spaghetti Squash

Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs With Spaghetti Squash
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Impress your loved one this Valentine’s Day with squash-based spaghetti and cheese-filled meatballs. With limited ingredients involved, this recipe is about as healthy as it gets.This recipe is provided by Alexandra Miller, RDN, LDN, Corporate Dietitian at Medifast, Inc.
Servings
2
servings
meatballs
Ingredients
  • 1, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 bell pepper (any color), finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 pound 95-97 percent lean ground beef or turkey
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs or crushed medifast multigrain crackers
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 1-oz part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks
  • 1 medium spaghetti squash
Directions
  1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a slow-cooker, and mix.
  2. Cut cheese sticks into ¼ to ½ -inch long pieces, and set aside.
  3. Combine beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Use your hands to ensure everything is evenly mixed. Form meatballs by rolling a small portion of the mixture into a ball shape. Push one of the cheese pieces into the center of the meatball, add a little meat to cover the hole where it was pushed in, and re-roll to ensure a nice round shape. Place meatballs in slow-cooker, being sure that they are sitting in and coated with the sauce.
  4. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
  5. Pierce spaghetti squash several times with a knife. Place whole squash in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 10 to 12 minutes or until squash is tender. Allow squash to cool, and then cut in half, remove seeds, and scrape out flesh with a fork to get spaghetti-like strands of squash. Serve meatballs and sauce over a bed of cooked spaghetti squash. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, if desired.
  6. Tip: Save an extra serving for lunch the next day, or double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for future meals.
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