The theme for this week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap is Spaghetti Squash. Last fall, when I first tried the Paleo Diet, I found that I really enjoyed eating Spaghetti Squash. I started using it as a substitute for rice and gluten-free pasta. It gave me the carbs I needed for energy during the day, but not the grains my body could do without. Because it makes more than my family can eat in one dinner, I started eating leftovers for lunch, too. I would top it with leftover Mexican chicken and guacamole, leftover vegetables topped with salad dressing, or even scrambled eggs with salsa and diced avocado.

It’s simple and easy to prepare. You can cook it in the oven, the microwave, or even in a slow-cooker like Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Here’s how I like to cook it: Microwave the whole squash for 2 minutes to soften the flesh just enough for cutting in half lengthwise. Once cut, scrape out and remove the seeds from the middle. (I found that the tools I bought for scraping the the inside of a jack-o-lantern works really well for any squash, so it now resides in my kitchen drawer.) Next, place the two halves in a baking dish with the cut side down and pour in about 2 cups water. Now, place the dish into an oven preheated to 375°. After baking for about 40 minutes, remove the dish from the oven, being careful not to splash any of the hot water on you. Flip the squash over so the cut side is up. You may want to let it cool for a few minutes. Then, using a fork, simply scrape the flesh away from the skin.

You can add a couple tablespoons of butter or olive oil, salt and pepper, or any preferred spices and/or flavors. Add vegetables, salad dressing, marinara, etc. It’s so versatile, you can make it work with just about any meal.

Cut in half. Bake in the oven @375 degrees for 40 min.

Once cooked, scrape the flesh away from the skin.

Add any variety of vegetables, seasonings, and/or sauces.

Check out the Gluten-Free Menu Swap roundup below for more gluten-free menus, recipe links, and ideas for preparing spaghetti squash.

Monday — Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Apple Slices, Guacamole, Tortilla Chips

Tuesday – Teriyaki Chicken Tenders served with Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli

Wednesday – Grilled Tri-tip Steaks served with Roasted Potatoes and Spinach Salad

Thursday – Pizza using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix

Friday – Tilapia Parmesan served with Spaghetti Squash and steamed Asparagus

Saturday – The Peaceful Mom’s Roasted Rosemary Chicken, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans

Sunday – leftovers

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Mom’s Plans: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Menu for the family and a Paleo Rotation Diet for Melissa
Melissa continues to struggle with a very restrictive diet for herself while preparing gluten-free, dairy-free meals for her family. This week, her family gets to enjoy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Beef and Cabbage Soup, Homemade Meatloaf with Fries, Roasted Vegetable Soup, Sloppy Joes, and Pasta with White Bean Soup. Melissa’s meals this week will be made from bison, pork, beef, pear, apple, bok choy, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and cauliflower. Check out her full menu for links to the many recipes she’ll be using this week.

Angela’s Kitchen: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Menu
This week, Angela is making Elise’s recipe for Spaghetti Squash and Chard Saute to serve with Slow-Cooker Pork Chops. She’s also making Tangy Tomato Beef, Chicken Nuggets, and Baked Penne with Apple Slaw. But, it’s the Carrot Cake Pancakes and Turkey Sausage that got my attention this morning. You’ll find recipe links to all this and more on her blog this morning.

Awkward Girl Gets Fit: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Sugar-Free Menu
Samantha has a great menu this week, but has zucchini on her menu instead of spaghetti squash. She’ll be serving it with Grilled Burgers and Guacamole. She’s also planning for Grilled Steaks, Crockpot Chicken, BBQ Chicken, BBQ Chicken Pizza, and Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Stop by her site if you have paleo pizza crust recommendations for her.

Beyond Rice and Tofu: Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Meals
No spaghetti squash on Renee’s menu this week. Instead, she making meals with quinoa and rice: Red Beans and Rice, Quinoa with Brussels Sprouts, Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup, and Thai Quinoa. Check out her blog for all the recipe links.

The Peaceful Mom: Simple Gluten-Free Menu
Kimberlee always includes a plan for breakfast and lunches with her weekly meal plans. This week it includes Ham and Egg Cups and Apple Sandwiches. For dinner this week, her family will be eating Beef and Veggie Soup, Crock Pot Chili, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Chicken Enchiladas, and Individual Lasagna Bake. Oh, she also has a recipe for Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce that would be great served over spaghetti squash…just saying. Check out her full menu and recipe links at The Peaceful Mom.

Extraordinary Life: Gluten-Free, Paleo Menu
I know I’ve seen Spaghetti Squash with Bolognese Meat Sauce on Lisa’s past menus. But not this week. This week, she’ll be making Lettuce Wrap Tacos, Pork Chops with Sherry Mustard Sauce, Rosemary Chicken, Country-fried Round Steak, and Pizza with a coconut-flour crust. You’ll find recipe links to all of them on her blog today, so stop by and check them all out.

Check back later to see who else is sharing their gluten-free menus this week.

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?

• For this week’s roundup, email your menu link to celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com. Or, simply put your menu link in the comments below.
• Next week’s roundup will be back at CeliacFamily.com. The theme will be Onion. 
• The Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page has the current schedule of themes and hosts. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans.