One of my most favorite sides during holiday meals is the green bean casserole loaded with cheese. That soon changed to my SIL’s broccoli cheese casserole – again loaded with cheese. So why am I thinking about holiday meals during the summer? Because I want something loaded with cheese of course! But casseroles are loaded with cheese, calories and creamy sauce goodness – in comes this vegan and gluten-free Spaghetti Squash Broccoli Casserole.

How do you go about making over a cheese-laden casserole? Add tons of veggies, no outside carbs (i.e. rice or pasta), and make your own sodium-free sauce. And try to use less cheese. In our holiday casseroles we use tons of cheese. In this dish? Just one package (about 2 cups) of cheese. And instead of carbs I used spaghetti squash as the filler. The extra veggies? Lots and lots of mushrooms and broccoli. Like this should just be called veggie casserole with only a little other stuff. Because really that’s what it is. So dang yum!

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Before even thinking of starting anything else cut the ends off your squash and scrape out the seeds and stringy things. Line a baking sheet with foil and pour a small amount of olive oil over the squash and rub it all around. Sprinkle with black pepper and garlic salt. Also cut the top off a head of garlic and place in the middle of a sheet of foil and pour a little oil over it with lots of pepper and wrap up. Bake both together at 375 for 45 minutes.

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About 10 minutes before the garlic and squash are out of the oven start sauteing your onion, mushrooms and broccoli. Cut the onion into small pieces, slice mushrooms if you didn’t buy already sliced, and chop broccoli semi-small. In large skillet dump all veggies into a little oil and saute with black pepper. Once a little brown sprinkle a little salt over the veggies to pull out liquid. Put lid on skillet and sweat out everything together. Once liquid is gone take veggies out. Melt butter and sprinkle in flour and whisk, then add soy milk. Whisk in black pepper, Italian seasoning, and squish in garlic. Once it starts to thicken pour the veggies back in and mix.  Scrape the squash innards into the pot and mix. Add in cheese and mix again then pour in pans. Bake 20 minutes then eat!

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Spaghetti Squash Broccoli Casserole, 6 servings

1 Spaghetti Squash, split and baked
1 Bulb Garlic, baked
Olive Oil
18oz White Mushrooms, sliced
12oz Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
1 Yellow Onion, sliced small
2 Heads Broccoli, florets halved or quartered
2 Tbsp Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread with Flax Oil
3 Tbsp Bobs Red Mill Oat Flour
2 C Silk Plain Unsweetened Soy Milk
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Pkg Daiya Cheddar Cheese

1. Carefully cut the top and bottom off a spaghetti squash then scrape out the innards. Cut top off garlic.
2. Line baking sheet with foil and also take a sheet for the garlic. Pour a little oil over squash and rub over all. Sprinkle with black pepper and garlic salt then lay face down. Put garlic in middle of foil and pour a little oil over the top with black pepper. Close foil over garlic.
3. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
4. Slice yellow onion into small pieces, then slice mushrooms. In large skillet add about two tablespoons olive oil then add veggies.
5. Slice broccoli florets off and halve or quarter and drop into skillet. Sprinkle black pepper over all veggies then a little salt. Mix, put lid on skillet and let sweat out about 10 minutes, mixing during that time. Take lid off and cook until liquid is gone.
6. Take veggies out then add the butter to melt then sprinkle the flour in and whisk. Add milk, black pepper, Italian seasoning and squish in the garlic. Whisk until roux starts to thicken.
7. Add veggies back to skillet and mix, then scrape in squash and mix again. Add cheese and mix then pour everything into baking dish/es.
8. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
9. Enjoy!