Kid’s Squash and Cheese

Serves 4-6

This recipe was designed to the palate of little ones, but big kids like this recipe, too! If you are feeding a finicky eater, feel free to leave off the Roma tomatoes without affecting the integrity of the dish.

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked spaghetti squash *
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup raw cream
1 tsp + pinch + pinch sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp +pinch +pinch fresh cracked pepper, divided
dash cayenne
dash nutmeg
1 1/2 cup shredded raw white cheddar cheese
1 cup homemade sourdough breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 Roma tomatoes, 1/8″ thinly sliced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. In a medium bowl, add spaghetti squash and set aside. Locate & set aside an 8 x 11 glass baking dish. In a small pot over medium heat, warm butter, cream, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, cayenne and nutmeg, stirring occasionally. Use caution not to scald the cream. When very lightly simmering, add white cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.

Pour cheese sauce over spaghetti squash and stir to combine. Pour into the glass pan and spread evenly with a spatula. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, pinch of sea salt & pinch of pepper. Toss with fingers to combine and spread evenly across the top of the cheesy squash. In three even & slightly overlapping layers, arrange sliced tomatoes on top of breadcrumbs. Sprinkle remaining pinch of sea salt and pepper over-top of tomatoes, and evenly drizzle olive oil across the top of the casserole to brown the top of the dish. Bake for 50 minutes; tomatoes will be roasted and visible breadcrumbs will be toasted.

Rest for 5 minutes and serve warm.

* To bake squash, preheat oven to 400˚. Locate either a roasting pan with a rack or a cookie sheet with a rack set inside of it. Cut the spaghetti squash from vine stump to butt-end. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Place squash on the rack, cut-side down, and fill pan with water until almost reaching the rack. Prick the skin of the squash with a fork 10 times each. Place squash in the hot oven for 1 hour, skin should be pierce-able with slight effort and the flesh under the skin should receive the fork nicely. Skins may be browned. It is important not to overcook the squash.