Lasagne-inspired Spaghetti Squash

I am quite the fan of spaghetti squash.  One of the few squash my mom was able to get me to eat as a kid.  You cook it up, comb it with a fork, and cover it with spaghetti sauce, and presto!  Stealth veggie. As I've gotten older, my tasting ability has improved, and I can tell it isn't pasta (as a kid, half of eating was what I thought it would be-- if it looked like spaghetti, it must have been spaghetti, and spaghetti was what I was going to taste.), but I still enjoy it.  The flavor isn't entirely dissimilar.  I convinced my husband we ought to try it, and rather than just dish it up with tomato sauce, of which he isn't a big fan, I decided to make it into a casserole.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole
1 smallish spaghetti squash
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
1 carrot
1 clove garlic confit (or garlic)
tomato sauce (~2 C)
1 C chopped/shredded cooked chicken
2 C shredded cheese (I used a combination of queso fresco and… something else I had sitting in my fridge.  I'd recommend mozzarella.)

Begin by cooking the squash.  Jab it a few times with a fork and/or sharp knife, then place it on a plate in the microwave.  I usually give it five minutes, then continue in 2 1/2 minute intervals, turning the squash to evenly cook it.  It's done when it is tender.

Save your fingers: let the squash cool.  Meanwhile, dice the onion, pepper, and carrot.  If you are using fresh garlic, mince that as well; if using confit, you can just crush it with a spatula.  Place in a small pot with a bit of oil, and cook until tender.  Add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat.

Cut the squash in half, then scrape out the flesh with a fork.  Grease a casserole dish.  Place about a third of the squash in the casserole, then about a third of the chicken, followed by approximately a third of the sauce and cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Repeat until everything is layered.  Bake at 350˚F until cheese is melted and casserole is warm throughout.

If I were to make this again, I would probably add some oregano to the sauce mix, and maybe incorporate the chicken into it, too, to unify everything a bit more.  Using mozzarella would've improved it, too, I think, rather than a desperate bid to use what I had on hand.   It was a tad under-seasoned; I needed more salt and pepper.  I also rushed this, so the cheese wasn't as "melty" as it ought to have been.  It was a good idea, but fell a bit short because of those things.  It'll be better, and more intentional, next time.