Crockpot Spaghetti {Squash} and Meatballs

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carando®. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for new ways to use my crockpot. I’m home all day since we homeschool, but all of the activities that we do happen RIGHT AT DINNER time. I know I’m not alone in that one. It gets so tricky! Basketball and soccer practice, karate, American Heritage Girl and Boy Scout Troops, piano lessons. All. At. Dinnertime. So, my crockpot to the rescue. I really try at least 4 nights a week to utilize the old girl. I prep dinner and get it in the pot before we start school and then when everyone is getting hangry before practices, dinner is ready!! YAY! Otherwise we just end up running through a drive thru before practices. Yuck!

So, we’ve been following a diet around here called Trim Healthy Mama (THM) and I LOVE IT! I’ve lost over 30 pounds since January. There is a learning curve, but basically, you limit carbs and fats together in the same meal. So, no more spaghetti AND meatballs for us. One or the other. I actually love spaghetti squash, but it’s such a pain to remember to cook it because it takes so long. I decided to try to cook this whole meal in the crockpot at once. And it worked! Beautifully. Gobbled up. Dinner success. I doubled it so we would have leftovers for lunch. Mmm, we barely did.

This recipe is great not only for THM, but gluten-free and Paleo diets, as well. And you really can’t call it “diet” food. It’s so rich and filling and satisfying. Classic Italian comfort food.

Crockpot Spaghetti {Squash} and Meatballs

What you need:

2 packages of Carando® meatballs
1 small onion
2 small peppers
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 spaghetti squash

What you do:

Place the meatballs in the bottom of your crockpot.
Chop veggies and add right on top of the meatballs. You could omit this, but I like to get in a few more veggies.
Pour the jar of sauce over the veggies and meatballs.
Wash the outside of the squash. (I figure since I’m going to be eating what’s in the crockpot and I don’t know who touched my squash before I got it.) 🙂
Split the spaghetti squash in half. (Be careful!) Scoop the seeds out.
Place the two squash halves on the top of the contents of the crockpot.
Cook on low all day, or high for 4 hours.
Right before serving, scoop the squash strands out of the shell and discard the shell.
Mix ans serve.

I love when the Taste of Italy event comes to Kroger stores. I get so many Italian meal inspirations when I pass the displays. And this year I really loved all the unique products and deals. You can get free items when you purchase certain products, so we got to try a lot of new authentic, special products straight from Italy. Fun!

For example, the Carando products. These were new to me and and I’ve fallen in love with the meatballs. We tried two flavors and they were both amazing. I can’t wait to try out the sausage next. We love some sausage in this house. Carando uses authentic Italian recipes to craft their Italian sausage, meatballs and charcuterie items and it will bring your family and friends to the table.

If you want a quick and easy Italian dinner, think about picking up some Carando Italian Sausage or Meatballs. They are delicious. And it makes an impressive dinner so easy. Carando has been making fresh authentic sausage with delicate herbs and savory old world flavors since the early 1900’s, so I kind of think they’ve perfected it. You can find them in the fresh meat section of Kroger. And click here for even more great Carando Recipes.