Today we'd like to share a new favorite recipe with you that we created this summer using some of the bountiful blessing the Lord has provided for us!
A change that we have made over the past few months is trying to do a good bit of gluten free cooking. Dad as been having some ongoing skin issues, so we thought this might help. Thus, this recipe is gluten free! :-)
One of the many wonderful veggies that we have been enjoying this summer is Spaghetti Squash. It is a wonderful substitute for spaghetti noodles, and most of us have actually come to like it better! However, spaghetti and meatballs gets a little old after too much repetition, so...... we decided to try using spaghetti squash in our baked spaghetti recipe. It turned out great! Everyone loved it! Which was a slight surprise. :-) We've made it several times, thus can truly say it's "Tried and True." :-)
Hope that some of you will venture out, try it, and like it! :-)
Note: This recipe was adapted from one given to us years ago by dear friends. Thanks Mrs. M.! :-)
Ingredients:
2 spaghetti squash
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup each: chopped onion, green peppers, and tomatoes
or 2 cups salsa
1 small jar of canned mushrooms, drained
1 tsp. oregano
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
double recipe of: Basic White Sauce (recipe given below)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Cut each spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a large baking pan. Put a cup or so of water in pan, and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. Squash is done when you can poke a fork through it easily. After it is baked, used a fork to pull the squash away from the shell, forming 'noodles'. Let this sit while you prepare your filling.
In a large skillet, fry the ground beef, onions, and peppers. Season meat to taste while frying. After the meat is cooked, add tomatoes, (or the salsa if you choose to use that instead of chopped veggies), oregano, and mushrooms. Simmer until well heated.
Place half of the spaghetti squash in the bottom of a greased 9 by 13 baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Repeat layering.
In a medium bowl, combine the White Sauce and water. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot in center and bubbly around edges.
(Or you can layer ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for a few hours.)
***
Basic White Sauce
This recipe, as well, has been adapted. The original recipe calls for wheat flour, but to make it gluten free we've changed it to use white bean flour. You can purchase bean flour, but if you have dry beans and a wheat grinder, it's really quite simple to make your own. You can use garbanzo (chick peas) or northern beans. (We use northern because that's what we have the most of.) To make your bean flour, you will want to break up the beans in a blender first, otherwise they won't go through your grinder. After you put them through the blender, slowly grind them as you would any other grain in your grinder. Now you have your white bean flour!
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. white bean flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
Instructions:
Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Stir in flour and salt until it gets bubbly. Then, using a whisk, stir in the milk. Cook on high, stirring constantly, until thickened.
(This recipe is about equivalent to a small can of cream soup from the store.)
***
As you can see, it's really quite easy to alter some recipes. It's kind of fun experimenting anyway! Even once Dad isn't doing gluten free anymore, we will probably keep some of our gluten free alterations, just for the variety. We hope that you will try and enjoy this recipe. (With or without the gluten free variations:-)
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