Cheesy Spaghetti Squash and Spinach

Book Update:  I started the second book “A Thousand Splendid Suns” from our book club.  It is one of her favorite books ever, but it is not for everyone.  If you read his other book, “Kite Runner”, then you probably have an idea of what the other book will contain.   Oh!  And Veronica Roth has finally finished the “Divergent” trilogy!  It was released just a couple days ago and I was all set to buy, but the customer reviews are horrible.  I didn’t read them to avoid spoilers, but the amazon stars are 2.5/5! Her first book in the trilogy is a 5/5 on Amazon, so makes me wonder.  I am #245 on the waiting list for our county library.  So, I might get it like… maybe by Easter.

Recipe Update:  This side dish was actually BETTER than my main course.  Weird, but true.  So, our co-op gave us spaghetti squash, spinach and other items.  I felt this worked great with our basket for the week as well as being one of the best side dishes I have ever had.  It tastes like mac and cheese, but with spinach.  If you took out the spinach you have mac and cheese.  Of course, the “mac” is squash, so it is much lower in calories.  Enjoy!  It was well worth the effort.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash and Spinach
yield 6-8 servings

5 and 1/2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (2 small or 1 medium)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
8 oz. shredded mild cheddar
salt and pepper
4 cups (4 ounces) baby spinach
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  To cook the squash:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Slice that squash in half long-ways.  Not through the equator.  Scoop out your seeds and squish stuff in the middle.  Bake in the oven on a baking sheet for 45 minutes.  Cool until able to safely handle.  Take a fork and rip out the insides.  It will come out looking like “spaghetti”.  Put that in a bowl.
2.   In a medium or large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Throw in the onion.  Cook that down for about 2-3 minutes.
3.  Add the flour and whisk that in.  Whisk and cook about 4 minutes – it will turn more golden brown in color.
4.  Whisk in the milk and broth.  Whisk until smooth and bring this mixture up to a boil.  Keep stirring constantly while it boils and boil a good 2 minutes or longer.  The mixture should be thicker.  Add some salt and pepper.
5.  Take this pot off of the stove.  Stir in the cheese.  Stir in the spinach.  Once incorporated, stir in the squash.
6.  Spray a 2 qt. dish or 7×11 pan with cooking spray and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and eat.  For added nutrition, I put mine on a bed of more spinach.

Recipe from Skinnytaste.com