Bison Marinara Bowls
It’s a quick dinner, and the shortcut for cooking the spaghetti squash is one you’ll use again and again. Yes, I too love those crispy edges from baking the squash in the oven, but if the choice is to wait 45 minutes or get dinner on the table quickly, you’ll love it just as much.
Also, since the recipe uses marinara from a jar, it’s a great option for a weeknight dinner. Typically I will purchase something with minimal ingredients; tomato, herbs and perhaps olive oil, that’s it. So it’s compatible. I love bison, it’s lean and flavorful, and will most likely be grass-fed rather than feedlot fed. If you don’t have a preference, you can use any ground beef.
Finally to add to the ultimate laziness, place the squash halves into large soup bowls, give each person a fork and make the family “scrape” their own! Then pour the sauce over. It gets the family interacting in the kitchen.
Bison Marinara Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 4 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 pounds ground grass fed bison (or ground beef)
- 1 Tablespoon Paleo Powder AIP All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 jar Whole30 compatible basil and tomato marinara
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded. (I like to cut width wise, rather than length wise to create a bowl shape.)
Method
- Place the spaghetti squash cut-side down in a baking dish, add 1/4 cup water and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave for 15-18 minutes, until fork tender. (see notes)
- While spaghetti squash is cooking, sauté the onion and garlic in oil until softened and slightly caramelized in a skillet large enough to accommodate all of the ingredients.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid. (Always allow mushrooms to cook until they release their liquid or they will have a mushy texture.)
- Add the ground bison and brown until it is no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon to yield a smooth, crumbly texture. Pour off the excess liquid. Add seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
- Add marinara sauce and simmer 10-15 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, take the spaghetti squash from the microwave and carefully remove the plastic wrap. It accumulates a lot of steam and can cause burns. Scrape spaghetti squash into shreds, leaving in exterior “bowl”.
- Pour meat sauce onto bowls and serve hot. Serves 4.
Pro Tip:
*This is a quick technique for spaghetti squash, it yields an "al dente" texture and takes half of the time of roasting in the oven. Try it!
Calories
521.75Fat (grams)
27.81Sat. Fat (grams)
8.86Carbs (grams)
39.92Fiber (grams)
8.96Net carbs
30.96Sugar (grams)
16.37Protein (grams)
32.06Sodium (milligrams)
1530.28Cholesterol (grams)
94.78Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutrition is intended for informational purposes only. Any nutritional information on livingdelishandnutrish.com should only be used as a general guideline and is provided as a courtesy, there is no guarantee that it is completely accurate.
