What is better than taking a healthy vegetable and turning it into a delicious, artery-clogging bacon fest?  Not much!  That’s why I love this use of spaghetti squash.  You get to convince yourself you’re doing good while eating cheese and bacon.

If you’ve never worked with spaghetti squash, don’t be intimidated.  It is very easy to cook and yields a squash product that is close enough to spaghetti to successfully fool my toddler.

Bacon Cheddar Spaghetti Squash

1 large spaghetti squash

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded or diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preparing the spaghetti squash.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Then lay the squash cut-side down in a large dutch oven or saucepan.  Add enough water to reach about 1/2 an inch up the squash and simmer over medium-high heat until the squash is very tender – about 30 minutes.  Add more water if the pan begins to go dry.  You will know the squash is tender when you scrape the flesh with a fork and it easily releases the meat of the squash in spaghetti-like strands.

Drain the water from the pan.  Scrape the flesh of the squash into the pan and continue to cook it over medium heat until any water left in the squash has evaporated.  Add the bacon and cheddar and cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted.  Salt and pepper to taste.