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

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

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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.

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.

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).

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.

3.48 from 25 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Main Course

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 15

Servings: 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.

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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Comments

3.48 from 25 votes (21 ratings without comment)