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Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Mmmm. these boats.  Melty, gooey, hearty, savory comfort food.  And it is seriously turning to comfort food weather around here.  Is this happening everywhere else?  It’s like the weather looked at the calendar and said “Welp, it’s November, better start getting chilly”.  As I write this I am bundled up in my warm PJs and slippers, covered in a fuzzy blanket (my cats and I are big fuzzy blanket fans) and sipping hot tea.  AND I just turned up the heat.  It is getting cold out there.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Cold weather means wanting cozy meals to warm us up, and that is just what this spaghetti squash boat is.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

So, by now it is no secret that I love spaghetti squash.  And kale.  These spaghetti squash boats were actually adapted from a pizza that we made a few weeks ago.  Here is what happens.  We plan on eating tons of vegetables.  All vegetables all the time.  I make a meal plan that is veggie-centric.  We eat that way for a few days.  Then someone gets tired of cooking and someone else suggest pizza and then it is a carb-fest.  And then we swear off pizza and decide to eat veggies again.  So on one of our pizza weakness nights, we made an AMAZING pizza that had sausage, kale and onions.  You would probably know all this if you followed me on snapchat, I put the whole pizza making process on there (search for foxandbriar to add me!).

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

So, a week or so later, I started thinking about how I could make that pizza again, but also NOT eat a bunch of processed flour.  And when the spaghetti squash boat idea came to me I thought “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?”  This is basically the toppings of the pizza and the melty cheese in a boat instead of on a crust.  We all love a good crust, I know, but sometimes the crust has to go for awhile.  But this is spaghetti squash, guys, and spaghetti squash is magic.  One thing I loved about the topping is that the sausage and kale get all crispy in the oven and crispy kale is really just my favorite way to eat kale.  I used chicken sausage here, but regular sausage is also awesome.  And I went with whole milk mozzarella so that it would be super gooey and melty.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

First you prepare your spaghetti squash your favorite way.  My favorite way is in the microwave, and I have detailed instructions on how to do that HERE.  Mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the minced garlic together in a small dish and set aside.  This will give the oil time to get infused with the garlic flavor.  Set it aside for a few minutes while you start to brown your sausage. After the sausage has started to brown but isn’t cooked all the way, add the onions.  Then cook the sausage and onions together for 8-10 minutes until the onions have softened.  Add the kale and the garlic/olive oil combo – at this point it will seem like the kale won’t fit in the pan, but it will wilt down quite a bit.  Carefully mix to combine, and cook, stirring often, until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Remove half of the mixture from the pan and set aside.  Mix the spaghetti squash strands into the remaining kale/sausage mixture until combined.  The reason I did it this way is that I really wanted some of the kale mixture right on top so it could get crispy in the oven.  Fill the two spaghetti squash shells with the spaghetti squash mixture.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Top with 2 ounces of shredded cheese.  Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

On top of that, evenly divide the remaining kale/sausage mixture on top of the cheese.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Sprinkle about an ounce more of cheese on top of that.

 

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, and finish under the broiler for a minute or two until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.  Keep in mind that one boat is two servings.  There is a huge portion in one boat.  We usually just eat half the boat and save the rest for lunch the next day.  The other option is cutting each boat in half before serving, OR you can skip the spaghetti squash shell altogether and bake the whole mixture in a baking dish.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

The boats are just cute, really.

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

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Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats

Prep 25 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 pound spicy Italian chicken sausage pork sausage will also taste great!
  • 1 bunch kale center rib removed and torn into pieces (about 6 cups prepared)
  • 6 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed, grated or very finely minced
  • kosher salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and the garlic in a small dish so that the garlic starts to infuse the oil. Set aside.
  • Cut both ends off of spaghetti squash and then cut in half in half. Scoop out the seeds. Microwave for 12-20 minutes or until flesh can easily shred into "noodles" with a fork. When cooled, shred all the flesh into noodles and scoop them out of the shells. Set "noodles" and shells aside.
  • In a large sauté pan, brown the sausage over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, until starting to brown but not cooked all the way through.
  • Add the sliced onion and cook together with the sausage for about 8 minutes, until the onion is softened. (depending on how lean your chicken sausage is, you may have to add a little oil to the pan at this point. With the chicken sausage that I used, no oil was required).
  • Add the kale, garlic and olive oil mixture and a pinch of kosher salt to taste (more or less depending on how salty your sausage is).
  • Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the kale is wilted.
  • Remove half of the kale/sausage mixture from the pan and set aside.
  • To the remaining sausage kale mixture in the pan, add the spaghetti squash "noodles" and mix to combine.
  • Place the two empty spaghetti squash shells in a baking dish large enough to hold them.
  • Fill each shell with the spaghetti squash/kale/sausage mixture.
  • Top each boat with about 2 ounces of mozzarella cheese.
  • On top of the cheese, evenly divide the remaining kale/sausage mixture between the two boats.
  • Top each boat with a little more cheese (about 1 ounce each).
  • Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Finish under the broiler, if desired, for about 1 minute, or until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.
  • Each boat is two servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 695mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3535IU | Vitamin C: 42.7mg | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinners
Cuisine: American
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!

 

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

Is everyone getting into winter mode?  How are you dealing with it – full resistance, or are you embracing it with slippers and comfort foods?

Sausage and Kale Spaghetti Squash Boats! So good! And healthy! Spicy Sausage and Garlicky Kale all topped with melty cheese make this low carb and gluten free meal perfectly satisfying.

I am linking up this post with the ladies from Saucy Saturdays!

Hello! I’m Meghan.

I am so glad that you are here! I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at my blog Fox and Briar. I am a passionate, self-taught home cook and believe that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.

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16 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I need this in my belly RIGHT. NOW. I love all things squash, sausage, cheese and crispy kale. Seriously. The very best way to eat kale is crispy and cheesy. Oh gosh. Yumm.
    I’m with you on comfort food. I’m all over the comfort!

  2. Hello! I am so glad I stumbled across your blog today! I recently started making more spaghetti squash boats and I’m always looking for more recipes. This looks super delicious and comforting!

  3. 5 stars
    I am with you, chickie, I am a huge fan of spaghetti squash boats! (I also have a weakness for pizza) And these boats look fab! Love that you turned your pizza topping into a squash stuffing! Spicy sausage, kale, onions and cheese? Yes Please! So YUM! I’m totally doing this for dinner soon! Cheers, doll! 😉

    1. Thank you Cheyanne! Spaghetti squash boats are the best way to fight the pizza craving I say – until it is time for some real pizza, I’ll never give it up completely 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    Mmmm these boats. I could definitely use some of this delicious comfort in my life today, as I am nursing a migraine. :/ I, too, turned the heat up and am sitting under fuzzy blankets with my pup. Is 74 too warm? I say no! 😉

    1. Ahh, I hope the migraine subsides soon Lauren. The fuzzy blanket and the puppy should help – animals always help! Feel better!

  5. Love that you turned these into boats! They are the perfect vessel for all this yumminess!

  6. I’m loving this recipe!! I know my Hubby will, too~~I so appreciate the ideas you come up with & share~?
    Makes meal-planning more fun for me~~❤️
    ?????

    1. Thank you! I hope you guys love it! I’m pretty sure you could replace the mozzarella with goat cheese and it would be delicious!

  7. Yum! That ooey gooey melty cheese is the thang! I love spaghetti squash, so this is totally my kind of meal. It’s funny how the weather flips the switch come November. It’s happening in San Diego too, but it’s my absolute favorite kind of weather, so I’m blissed out. The only thing that would make it even better is if I had this gorgeous meal in front of me! Perfection, girl!
    xx Sydney

    1. Thank you Sydney! I do love getting cozy when the chill sets in. And there is something about melty cheese that is just so cozy! I bet San Diego is perfect this time of year – fun fact – I got engaged in San Diego! Cheers, lady!