Creamy, rich and good- this low carb squash stroganoff has all the flavors of a classic beef stroganoff with less fat, calories, and carbs!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Low Carb Squash Stroganoff

We try hard to be healthy. We're not one of those bloggers who shimmys into a size 2 and proclaims cookie dough by the pound to be our favorite thing ever- we're the kind to so much as look towards a plate of fudge and go up a pant size. We abhor working out (you're more likely to see a colony on Mars than us posting photos from something like crossfit), and the only time you'll find us running for a long period of time is if we're being chased by something large and furry with sharp teeth.

We have a lot of zoodles recipes- things like a fall pasta with nuts and cranberries, paleo carbonara, and shrimp scampi with zucchini instead of pasta. We'll be honest though- while we loved them, our husband missed the carby-goodness from actual pasta. He's more into pasta than we are- he'd happily eat bowls at a time- and the veggie swaps were always good, but not his favorite if given the choice. That is, until this dish.

Our husband LOVES stroganoff. Rich, creamy, cheesey, beef-y flavors are at the top of his list- but like us, making healthier swaps has become a recent goal of his lately. When we made this dish (which admittedly is not the prettiest dish we have ever cooked), he was skeptical from the start. But he ended up raving over it- and it's the only spaghetti squash pasta he's requested again while still eating his dinner!

How to make Low Carb Squash Stroganoff

Spaghetti squash – We love spaghetti squash, it has an good pasta like texture when baked. Prepare this by halving and de-seeding.
Olive oil – you can use any oil you want to add some fat and nonstick element to the squash before baking.
Sea Salt – We like using fine grain sea salt for this and most recipes since it distributes well and has great flavor.
Ghee – ghee is a type of clarified butter from India, you can substitute traditional butter for a similar result.
Ground beef or Skirt Steak – you can use either of these meats for your protein.
Onion – onion adds a nice sweet flavor to the sauce.
Garlic – garlic adds a wonderful bite to the stroganoff, use fresh or a garlic paste.
Beef Stock – use a high-quality beef stock to give the sauce body and thin if necessary.
Mushrooms – diced mushrooms add a meatiness to the sauce.
Neufchâtel cheese – this cheese is similar to cream cheese but has a slightly saltier dry wine taste.
Parmesan – top your stroganoff with parmesan for a salty bite.
Green onions or cilantro – these greens make a nice fresh garnish.

Once you have assembled the ingredients, use the following method

Season and bake the squash. Rub the squash inside with olive oil and season with sea salt. Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until soft. We usually test with a knife, if it easily inserts into the skin it is ready.

Cook veggies. Heat a large pan to medium heat and melt the ghee in it. Add the ground beef or steak and cook until browned. Add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic and cook until browned. Season with salt.

Make sauce. Slowly add beef stock to the pan then stir in the Neufchatel allowing it to melt around the pan.

Combine and serve. Run a fork through the squash and remove the noodles to the squash rind. Place in the pan with the sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with parmesan cilantro and/or green onions.

Kitchen notes

Switch out the protein. If you prefer to use chicken rather than beef, you can easily swap it. Simple use precooked chicken. You can use easy boiled chickenor you can try our creamy chicken stroganoff recipe.

Cut down on the cooking time. Pre- roast the spaghetti squash ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a busy weeknight to cut down on the cooking time. This meal can be made in under 20 minutes with a little pre-planning.

Use some traditional pasta. If you don't want to go full squash, you can use half traditional pasta and half spaghetti squash.

A few answers

How do we store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.

What can we use in place of Neufchatel cheese?

You can substitute with cream cheese, but Neufchâtel is a little lighter and has less fat (though it tastes as creamy and good).

Low Carb Sides to enjoy with your Squash Stroganoff

Whether you are on a low carb diet or not these sides will accompany your meal beautifully.

Low Carb Squash Stroganoff Recipe

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Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash, halved and de-seeded
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp sea salt, divided
1 tbsp ghee
1 lb ground beef or thinly sliced skirt steak
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup beef stock
8 oz cremini mushrooms, diced
1 package Neufchâtel cheese, 8 oz
½ cup fresh shredded parmesan
green onions or cilantro, to garnish

Method

Rub the inside of the squash all over with oil and season with 1 tsp of the salt. Place cut side down on a baking sheet.
Bake spaghetti squash at 350 until soft, about 45 minutes.
In a large pan on medium high heat, melt ghee.
Add ground beef or steak slices and cook until browned, stirring often to prevent burning.
Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic, and cook until vegetables are browned. Season with the remaining 1 tsp of salt.
Slowly add in a bit of beef stock, stirring the bottom of the pan to bring up any bits of caramelized onions and beef (deglaze the pan).
Add the rest of the stock and cook down 2 minutes.
Slowly stir in Neufchâtel cheese, allowing it to melt around the pan.
Run a fork through the baked spaghetti squash to remove the "noodles" from the squash rind. Placing them pan with beef and sauce.
Toss to evenly coat noodles in sauce.
Remove from heat and serve- top with parmesan and cilantro or green onions.