Who doesn’t love the taste of a giant burrito loaded with meat, rice, beans and delicious toppings? Have the delicious without the guilt with this better-for-you low carb burrito bowl!
My husband has been “watching his girlish figure” since the new year and is spending some more time with his running shoes on.
To help with his fitness efforts, he has asked for some lower carb dinner options. Since we share the table with a 12-year-old who loves her carbs (“aren’t we having rolls with this?!?”) and two hungry young men, this low carb eating is a challenge.
This dish started as a vegetarian delight (a huge thank you to The Comfort of Cooking for the base recipe) but the carnivores in my house requested the addition of beef. This adds some much-needed protein for the kids and helps keep them full for longer than the standard two hours. 
And I’ve tossed the squash with a cilantro lime olive oil mixture to give it some zing. Honestly, the squash is delicious on its own this way. I will confess to having sampled a decent amount of it during the recipe testing …. just to be sure it was good (and it was).
I love that you can load this dish up with healthy toppings like avocado, a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro. Since dairy and I don’t agree most days, the standard toppings of sour cream and cheese are off the menu for me. But I really don’t feel like I’m missing out because the toppings I do use are not only healthy but they are fresh and flavorful too.
If you really want to make this dish a dairy-free delight for everyone, try mixing up some Easy Game Day Guacamole and adding that to the top of this homemade heap of goodness – YUM!
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squashes
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- dash black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1.5 lb lean ground beef (93/7)
- 2 cans rotel tomatoes , drained
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup red onion, diced
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 2 jalapenos (remove seeds for a milder flavor)
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- ½ Tablespoon cumin
- ½ Tablespoon oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 lb bag frozen corn, thawed
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cook whole spaghetti squash on a baking sheet in an oven heated to 375 degrees for 60 minutes
- Make dressing for squash by combining garlic through ½ cup fresh cilantro in a food processor or shaker; blend or shake until combined. Place in refrigerator until squash comes out of oven.
- While waiting for the squash to bake, you can complete the prep for the rest of the meal and get the dishes washed. Chop your onion, peppers, cilantro and measure out your other spices. You can also
- Remove squash from oven and let stand 30 minutes before cutting into them; remove dressing from fridge.
- Brown beef in frying pan.
- In a separate pan, combine olive oil, onion, garlic and peppers. Sautee 5 minutes on medium heat or until soft.
- Stir in spices (chili powder through black pepper) and stir frequently for 1 minute until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice. Cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. Remove cover and let simmer until rest of meal is ready to serve.
- When beef is cooked, drain fat and return to stove. Add both cans of rotel tomatoes to beef and simmer on low until ready to serve.
- Remove seeds and shred the inside of the squash into “spaghetti” using a fork
- Place squash in bowl, toss with dressing.
- You can serve it by the plate or assemble in a 9x13 baking dish. Place squash on bottom, add meat mixture next, and then vegetables.
- Go ahead and add any other toppings you like. Personally I enjoy some fresh avocado chunks though some grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream are favorites at my house.
Enjoy!
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