Having decided to go with goat cheese mashed potatoes as the first side for my roast beef dinner I had go with a healthier vegetable dish as the second side and I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I had come across this recipe for a spaghetti squash and chard gratin on Kalyn’s Kitchen not too long ago and it sounded really tasty in addition to being healthy. Spaghetti squash and chard are two vegetables that I do not use often enough and with the spaghetti squash in season now it was the perfect time to try this gratin. In addition to the vegetables there is of course some cheese in the form of some parmigiano reggiano and there is also a touch of sour cream for some extra creaminess. I was a bit surprised by the use of the cottage cheese but I really liked the sound of it being in there. With having to roast the spaghetti squash before baking the gratin this dish takes a bit of oven time so you will have to plan accordingly when making it. Other than the time it takes it is really easy to make and so worth making. The spaghetti squash and chard gratin was nice and light and moist and full of flavour. This recipe definitely makes a lot but the leftovers have certainly been the highlight of my leftover lunches so far this week. I have a feeling that this gratin will be making a regular appearance during squash season.
Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin
ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash (cut in half lengthwise and scooped clean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 bunch chard (rinsed and cut into 1 inch thick slices)
- 4 green onions (chopped)
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
directions
- Roast the spaghetti squash halves in a preheated 400F/200C oven until tender, about 1 hour.
- Scoop the strands out of the skin.
- While the squash is cooking heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the chard and saute until it has wilted, just a few minutes.
- Mix the squash, chard, green onions, egg, sour cream, cottage cheese, parmigiano reggiano, salt and pepper and pour it into a baking dish.
- Top with the parmigiano reggiano.
- Bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven until it is bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 30-40 minutes.
Interesting dish. You can cut the squash cooking time dramatically by zapping it in the microwave. I place a cut half in a shallow dish with about 1/2 inch of water, cover with plastic wrap, and cook on high for 11 minutes.
Btw, made your Thai-style Coconut Butternut Squash twice last week. Love it!
I don't use spaghetti squash often enough either! And I love meals that make great leftovers 🙂
Sues
Can you really call something with 3/4 of a cup of parmagiano healthy???
I like this. I think it would make a great accompaniement or as a stand alone dish.
Parmesan is good for you.
This gratin looks perfect! A wonderful way of serving chard…
Cheers,
Rosa
So glad you liked it! I thought the leftovers were great too.
I have never met a gratin I didn't like and your squash gratin looks amazing!
Well I don't know that that's necessarily healthy with all the cheese, but it sure does look tasty.
A lovely vegetarian option to comfort food!!! Healthy too, I suppose!!!
I saw this on Kalyn's site and totally bookmarked it! It's always good to have a second opinion, however.
Ok that sounds out of this world, tasty. Comforting casserole loaded with goodness.
I'm a recent spaghetti squash convert and just can't get enough of it. Chard is never eaten enough in our house and this looks great! And with the combo of cheeses, I am thinking my toddler would even eat this. this is a great idea. I've been serving the squash with a tomato sauce full of sauteed onions and peppers, parm, and hot sausage.
Looks fabulous Kevin 🙂
Looks too good to be healthy!
This sounds absolutely delicious, what a perfect side dish. I kind of have a love affair with spaghetti squash, so this is pretty perfect for me.
OH! This looks great! We have swiss chard growing in our garden right now!
I love spaghetti squash! This looks like a great dish to try! Thanks:)
If you look at the ratio of vegetables to cheese, this dish can still be considered "healthy." Eating healthy doesn't mean eliminating high fat items entirely; it means eating them in a balanced, smart way.
And for the record, the negativity exhibited by someone who feels the need to post base-less negative comments is far less "healthy" than 3/4 of a cup of parm. The old axiom still holds true: if you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing.
~
I made this last week after seeing it on Kalyn's blog and am still eating the leftovers (had some for lunch today)! It is soooo good. I used shredded fontina in place of cottage cheese and topped with parm. I am thinking of making it again as a side dish for Thanksgiving.
Oh and I almost forgot – I used kale in place of chard cause I had some at home and it was still great. Next time will try it with chard.
Looks great Kevin. I have found that microwaving the spaghetti squash tastes just like baking it, except you save a ton of time. Just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, lay it face down in a dish with a couple tablespoons of water and nuke for about 10 minutes.
I can't wait to try this
I made this about 2 weeks ago and I really enjoyed it (saw it on Kalyns site),
I also zap my squash in the microwave. I just take the whole squash, poke some holes in it and microwave on high for about 12-15 minutes. Depending on the size of the squash, that should be enough time.
Well if that isn't comfort in a dish, I don't know what is. Always love what you make!
It's a dark, stormy, rainy day here in Vancouver, and I know what I am having for dinner tonight now. 🙂
Thanks for all the tips. I will definitely have to try my next spaghetti squash in the microwave.
If you want to make this dish even healthier/lighter you could use a stronger cheese such as a pecorino romano and use less of it. You can also go with light sour cream and light cottage cheese.
ah, this looks soooo yummy for the comfort food I had in mind!
I have a spaghetti squash on my counter … guess I know what I'm doing with it!
that looks awesome…do you know an alternative to spaghetti squash – i don't think we can get it in oz!
I love chard but I was getting bored of my usual recipe. This look delicious!
I'm going for this one! Thanks.
This looks delicious and interesting. I experimented with spaghetti squash also this week, and couldn't decide what to add for color besides tomatoes and herbs. I never thought of adding chard. Wish I had waited another day to use it and read your post!
I made a light version of this over the weekend. I used non fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, no egg, and lo fat cottage cheese. It came out perfectly, I worried the lack of egg would make it runny but it wasn't at all. I also added some cut up pieces of veggie chicken tenders to add some protein and make it a full meal. Delicious! Thanks for the idea.
Oh, I have to try this – looks spectacularly good!
Delicious! This recipe looked so tasty that I decided to give spaghetti squash another try! I made this tonight and I loved it! Thank you.
I've never tried spaghetti squash… but that sounds really tasty.
Glad to hear this great review! I hope to make this soon. I love the natural sweetness of spaghetti squash, such an interesting flavor, there is so much you can do with it.
I bought my first spaghetti squash this past week at our local farmer's market. I planned on serving it with a red sauce until I found your blog. I am now making your dish and taking it to our Sunday family gathering tomorrow. I can't wait!
Just made this, turned out amazing. For all those saying its not healthy because of the cheese, if you do the math it comes out to 57 calories per a serving and 3 grams of fat. Per the recipe calculator I use it comes out to something like 150 calories per a total serving if you stick by breaking it up into 8 servings.
Kevin,
This is such a wonderful dish! I have made it several times and it always comes out beautifully! I was wondering if you have ever made it in advance and reheated it the next day. I would like to make it for a dinner party, but was unsure of how it will reheat.
Jenn Rudolph: I normally divide leftovers up with the rest of the meals leftovers and place them in individually portioned containers for quick meals or lunches later on in the week. I usually just heat the leftovers in the microwave when I do it like this and although it tastes great, it does not make for the best presentation. If you were to leave it in the original baking dish, I imagine that it would easily reheat in the oven.
I made this over the weekend, and… omigosh! so delicious!
For anyone saying this isn't healthy, I calculated the calories on a website I use for tracking. 1/8 of a pan only comes out to around 165 calories (granted, there are 9 grams of fat, but only because I had full fat sour cream on hand). Using lower fat sour cream would cut this down quite a bit and still be tasty.
Thanks for this great recipe… It is definitely going in my recipe box!
I just made this tonight and it's so amazing. It's savory and cheesy and roasted vegetable deliciousness. Thanks for the great recipe!
Mia McCaulley: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This dish is amazing! I make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas 🤩