Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce, Turkey Bacon and Ground Beef

Are you ready to ditch the noodles?  to kick your wheat habit and live gluten free (GF), or close to it?  So many of us these days are finding that once we begin to eliminate wheat and gluten from our diets that we actually feel better, have more energy, and are able to lose weight faster.  "Maybe there's something to this gluten thing, but...HOW CAN I DO IT?!  I heard all that gluten free stuff tastes icky..."  Well, I can put your mind at ease about eating gluten free: it can be appealing and tasty, even for us food lovers!
The first thing to keep in mind is that the GF craze is a larger and larger part of the American food market each year, and of course many companies have stepped in to capture a slice of the gluten free pie (pun intended).  With so many products out there, a lot of them are bound to be junk, like buying a cheap, $50 tablet when you really wanted an iPad.  What I'm saying is that not all products are created equal, and when you're talking about GF food that you can buy off the shelf, it takes a lot of trial and error to find the brands and items that actually taste good, and in the process you probably will take a bite of a GF "muffin" that doesn't taste anything like food.
So now that we have a brief intro to the GF landscape in the supermarket, what are the other options out there?  "I'm glad you asked," said the girl at the keyboard, "I just happened to make gluten free spaghetti squash tonight, with ground beef and turkey bacon in a marinara sauce on top.  Let me show you the recipe."
(full ingredients list at the bottom)

First the spaghetti squash.  Pick one that's pretty hard to the touch and kind of smooth and shiny.  This is no delicate fruit here, it's a hard squash.  Before cooking, lightly rinse it with cold water and scrub all the dirt off the outside if there is any left from the farm.





Take a large knife, like a chef's knife or a cleaver and cut the squash in half length-wise.  Take your time!  This thing is hard to get through, and I usually work the knife in, and then gently "tap, tap" the spine of the blade with the heel of my hand.  Please seek a YouTube video if you have any doubts.

Now scoop out the seeds and the pulp with a big spoon.  No need to go crazy, but all the stringy stuff on the inside, and the seeds, should come out.

Place them in casserole dishes, with the cut side down.  Add about 1/4" of water in the bottom of the dish.  This will boil and steam the squash.

Bake at 375º for about 45 minutes, or until a fork will stick into the squash with little to no effort.

Scoop out the squash meat into a bowl.  You can wait for the squash to cool or you can use a fancy oven mitt like mine, but do be careful, this stuff is 375º HOT.  That's real steam in the photo, not fancy effects.

Cook your turkey bacon and set aside, then cook your ground beef.  Pour in some sauce and cook until the sauce is as warm as you like it.

Sprinkle bacon bits on top and the grated cheese and garnish are optional, but cheddar and fresh basil sure to go well with your "spaghetti".

Lastly, enjoy your new lease on life now that you found out you can enjoy gluten free "pasta" in your home.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2 to 3 strips turkey bacon
1 lb. ground beef
tomato sauce (the most natural brand you can find, or make it yourself)
optional: grated cheese on top and fresh basil garnish