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    Home » Gluten Free » Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

    Published: May 26, 2015 · Modified: Jul 26, 2022 by Carolyn

    Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    211.3K shares
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    Need a healthy, easy meal that doesn’t take much prep work? Toss some spaghetti squash and some frozen meatballs in your slow cooker and bam. Insta-dinner.

    Low Carb Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

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    Confession time. I really struggle with this low carb thing. Not for me, of course. I am fully on the low carb bandwagon and I don’t find it a hardship to eat this way. But for my family, it isn’t quite so simple. I have 3 hungry children and a very tall, VERY hungry husband. Simply put, I can’t always keep up with the demand. They devour my creations quickly and I am always left wondering where that huge batch of muffins or bread or pancakes went. I double a lot of my casserole recipes, thinking we will have tons of leftovers, and it barely stretches beyond one meal. I would very much love to make everything they ate from scratch but that simply isn’t practical. And I would love to have them fully on a grain-free diet, but we are not quite there. I sometimes have to rely on convenience foods, but I try to make smart choices about what those foods are.

    Put spaghetti squash and meatballs in your crock pot and you have a dinner with almost no prep work required!

    Frozen meatballs seems like such a shoo-in for low carb convenience, don’t they?  I mean, meatballs. Balls made out of meat. And my kids love them. But I have stood there so many times in the frozen food aisle, astounded at the carbs in ready-made meatballs. Sometimes up to 10 grams in a serving. Sounds to me like there is more bread than meat in those balls. Of course, they aren’t gluten-free and they usually have plenty of other fillers and junk in there too. So when Al Fresco asked if I’d like to try their frozen chicken meatballs, I was a bit skeptical. But I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they are completely gluten-free and that the ingredient list does not read like a who’s who of food additives. Definitely a more viable option for my hungry crowd. The Jalapeño & Pepper Jack are the lowest carb option, with only 2 g per serving (please note that sugar is on the ingredient list in a very small amount).

    Low Carb Grain Free Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash, all cooked in your slow cooker

    As for this recipe, well I don’t take credit for the idea. I saw it on my friend Shawn’s blog, I Wash, You Dry, and I knew I had to try it for myself. But not with canned pasta sauce because that’s usually full of extra sugar and carbs I don’t need. Instead, I made my instant marinara sauce: crushed tomatoes pureed in the blender with garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Then I popped it all into my slow cooker and let that machine do the work for me. It was an incredibly simple dish with all the great flavours of a comfort meal. At just under 10 g of carbs, it’s a little higher carb than some of my other recipes, but much of that comes from the tomatoes and the spaghetti squash. And when I am on a tight timeline to feed a hungry family, that works for me.

    Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

    Need a healthy, easy meal that doesn't take much prep work? Toss some spaghetti squash and some frozen meatballs in your slow cooker and bam. Insta-dinner.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Main Course
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 235kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium spaghetti squash
    • 1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
    • 16 gluten-free chicken meatballs such as Al Fresco
    • 2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
    • Additional salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Cut spaghetti squash in half, crosswise. Place in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker, cut-side down.
    • In a processor or blender, combine tomatoes, salt, garlic powder, pepper and oregano. Puree until smooth. Pour into bottom of slow cooker.
    • Place meatballs over tomatoes, around spaghetti squash. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
    • Using tongs and kitchen gloves, remove spaghetti squash from slow cooker. Scoop out seeds and discard. Scoop out flesh into a sieve or colander and let drain a few minutes to reduce moisture. Transfer to a bowl and toss with butter or olive oil.
    • Divide between 4 plates and top with sauce and meatballs.

    Notes

    Serves 4. Each serving has 11.8 g of carbs and 1.92 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 9.88 g.
    Food energy: 235kcal
    Total fat: 13.52g
    Calories from fat: 121
    Cholesterol: 80mg
    Carbohydrate: 11.80g
    Total dietary fiber: 1.92g
    Protein: 15.39g
    Sodium: 504mg
    Nutrition Facts
    Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 235 Calories from Fat 122
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13.52g21%
    Cholesterol 80mg27%
    Sodium 504mg21%
    Carbohydrates 11.8g4%
    Fiber 1.92g8%
    Protein 15.39g31%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

    Want a healthy, low carb dinner with almost no prep work? Let your crockpot do all the cooking while you relax with this slow cooker spaghetti squash and meatball recipe
    211.3K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. CmR says

      April 12, 2019 at 12:07 pm

      Will this recipe reheat nicely? I’m looking to making one recipe in bulk to eat for a week but only have a microwave at work to reheat it, wondering if it still tastes just as good!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 12, 2019 at 1:27 pm

        Yes, but go gently on the spaghetti squash, it can get a bit mushy. I might reheat the meatballs separately since they will take longer.

        Reply
    2. Abeer Rizvi says

      September 11, 2018 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      I only recently started eating spaghetti squash and I am looking for more ways to enjoy it. This looks delish!

      Reply
    3. Heather Seeley says

      September 10, 2018 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      That is so great that you can cook the squash with the meatballs! Makes it so easy!

      Reply
    4. Julie says

      September 10, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      I love this healthier alternative!

      Reply
    5. Valerie says

      September 10, 2018 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      I haven’t seen the Al Fresco chicken meatballs yet, but I am familiar with their yummy sausage. My youngest is gluten-free so the meatballs are definitely something I’ll be watching for.

      Reply
    6. Krissy Allori says

      September 10, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      5 stars
      My family loves spaghetti squash! This looks like a great recipe to try!

      Reply
    7. F. says

      March 21, 2018 at 12:59 pm

      Can I make my own meatballs out of ground chicken?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        March 21, 2018 at 4:05 pm

        Of course!

        Reply
    8. Jennifer says

      March 19, 2017 at 6:19 pm

      Made this tonight with our favorite sauce from the Farmer’s Market – it was a hit. I love spaghetti squash, my family not so much. But everyone was enjoying this tonight! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    9. Joy says

      February 12, 2017 at 7:04 pm

      I have one spaghetti squash left from last year’s garden and this looks like the perfect way to use it. Yummy! Thank you so much! 🙂

      Reply
    10. Michael Haveri says

      November 29, 2016 at 5:03 am

      This was amazing and, a nice change from pasta. I make my own sauce that is loaded with basil and diced tomatoes. I also added fresh portabello mushrooms. I really like the gluten free chicken meatballs. I jabbed Squash with holes and tossed in nuker for 15 minutes prior to slow cooker, it was easier to slice and seemed to dry up most of the water. Thank You this is a regular meal @ my place from now on Really Delicious!

      Reply
    11. robinlj says

      September 25, 2016 at 11:06 am

      I have made a similar dish but never in the slow cooker. I make my meatballs with ground turkey, chopped red onion, basil, oregano, thyme parsley and grated parmesan in place of bread crumbs. They are super easy and I bake them in the oven. Thought I would share as a gluten free alternative for you. I am looking forward to making this in the slow cooker.

      Reply
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