These healthy chili cheese burrito spaghetti squash bowls take minutes to prepare and are such a delicious and easy weeknight meal! Plus they're gluten-free and 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers friendly!
Hey guys! Let's jump in with one of life's most important questions: What was your post-bar Taco Bell order when you were in your 20's and had zero concerns about diet and nutrition?? Everyone had this, right?
Ok, I'll go first.
A chili cheese burrito add sour cream (because it was too spicy for me without it, sad, I know), and a meximelt. I'd love to hear yours in the comments, maybe we can come up with some creative and delicious alternatives!
Anyway, I haven't eaten Taco Bell in a VERY long time, but those delicious memories will be with me forever...
In any event, those chili cheese burritos of yore inspired this post. Along with the fact that I've been wanting to have some more IP spaghetti squash recipes in my back pocket (like my Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo with Shrimp, or this Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Beef Bolognese), they're so stinking easy!
So here it is, a marriage of convenience (and deliciousness), my Instant Pot Chili Cheese Burrito Spaghetti Squash Bowls.
Ok, let's set aside this beautiful nostalgia, do a little Q&A, and then I'll show you how wildly easy it is to make this weeknight dinner!
What's in a chili cheese burrito?
A chili cheese burrito is usually a flour tortilla filled with beef chili and cheese. Sometimes with beans, sometimes without (Taco Bell's is without).
Can these chili cheese burrito squash bowls be made with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef?
Absolutely! I was trying to get the flavor of these as close to Taco Bell's as possible, but these would be equally delicious (and even healthier) with ground turkey or chicken.
Are these chili cheese burrito spaghetti squash bowls healthy?
Well, that's pretty subjective since there's a bit of cheese in there, but these bowls are full of veggies and lean protein. Plus they're gluten-free, and 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers friendly (see the recipe card for counts)!
Can these 21 Day Fix chili cheese burrito bowls be frozen?
Absolutely!
What kind of chili powder is best for this recipe?
Any good chili powder will be delish in this recipe, and I've tested a few. That being said, if you're after that taco bell chili cheese burrito flavor like I was, the closest I've gotten (and I think it's really close!) is to use 3 Tbs of McCormick dark chili powder and 1 Tbs of Morton & Basset chili powder.
Will the cook time change if my spaghetti squash is bigger or smaller than 3 - 3 ½ lbs?
If your squash is quite a bit smaller or bigger than a medium 3 - 3 ½ lb one that I used here, you may need to use your best judgment on the cook time. But I can say that I had one that was 2 ½ lbs, that I cooked for 23 minutes and that worked well, just to give you an idea.
How to make Chili Cheese Burrito Spaghetti Squash Bowls in an Instant Pot:
First, on saute mode, add your beef and onions, seasoning with salt and pepper. Break up your meat with a spatula (or a meat-breaker-upper-thing).
Once meat is broken up (it doesn't have to be fully cooked), add 1 cup of water. Next, place your prepared squash (that you've washed and poked a bunch of holes in) right on top. Pressure cook on manual (or pressure cook) for 27 minutes.
While the Instant Pot is going, mix together all of the squash ingredients except the cheese and set aside. Once the meat and squash are done cooking, immediately release the pressure and remove the lid.
Next remove the squash carefully with two forks onto a cutting board, where you will cut it open, remove the seeds, pull out the squash strands and cover to keep warm.
Though there will be quite a bit of liquid left in the pot, there's no need to drain. Turn on the saute function and stir in the sauce mixture and cook until thickened. Once thickened, turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the cheese.
Serve the chili cheese filling over your spaghetti squash and enjoy!
If you guys give these healthy chili cheese burrito spaghetti squash bowls a try, let me know what you think! You can leave a comment below or tag me on Insta @thefoodieandthefix. Or if you’re in my private Facebook group, I’d love to see a photo of your creation in there! I hope you enjoy ♥
Don’t forget to save this Chili Cheese Burrito Spaghetti Squash Bowl recipe to Pinterest! ⇓
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chili Cheese Burrito Squash Bowls
These healthy chili cheese burrito spaghetti squash bowls make such a quick, delicious and easy weeknight Instant Pot dinner that's gluten-free and perfect for meal-prep!
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash (3 - 3 ½ lbs), washed and pierced all over with a fork or knife (carefully!)
Chili Cheese Sauce:
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- ¼ cup chili powder*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 ⅓ cups shredded cheddar cheese (I like to use sharp cheddar, but whatever you've got will work!)
To serve:
- Optional: plain greek yogurt
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of your Instant Pot liner with olive oil cooking spray and turn on the saute function. Add the beef and onions, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper and breaking the meat up as it browns.
- Once the meat is well broken up (it doesn't have to be fully cooked), turn off the saute function, add 1 cup of water and your spaghetti squash (just put it right on top of everything). Put the lid on, making sure it's set to "sealing", and pressure cook using the manual or pressure cook button for 27 minutes**.
- Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients except the cheese and set aside. Once the meat and squash are done cooking, immediately release the pressure and remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the squash (I stick two forks, one on either end to pull it out) and put it on a cutting board, where you will then cut it in half, remove the seeds and then remove the spaghetti-like squash strands and keep warm.
- In the Instant Pot you will see a little bit of grease (though most of what you'll be looking at is actually the water that we added earlier). I don't normally drain this, but you can if you would prefer to, just be sure to add an extra cup of water to your sauce mixture to make up for it.
- Next, turn on the saute function and add in the sauce mixture, cooking until it thickens, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes. This will splatter some and it'll be pretty hot, so be careful (sometimes I'll throw a paper towel over it while it's simmering - also a good use for a splatter screen if you happen to have one). Once thickened, turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the cheese until fully incorporated.
- Serve the meat mixture on top of the spaghetti squash, with some plain Greek yogurt on the side if ya like, and enjoy!
Notes
*If you're after that taco bell chili cheese burrito flavor like I was, the closest I've gotten (and it's really close!) is to use 3 Tbs of McCormick dark chili powder and 1 Tbs of Morton & Basset chili powder.
** If your squash is quite a bit smaller or bigger than a medium 3 - 3 ½ lb one that I used here, you may need to use your best judgement on the cook time. But I can say that I had one that was 2 ½ lbs, that I cooked for 23 minutes and that worked well, just to give you an idea.
21 Day Fix Counts per Serving: 1 Red, 1 Blue, 1 Green
Weight Watchers Points: Chili Cheese Burrito Spaghetti Squash Bowls
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 cup of meat mixture and 1 cup of spaghetti squashAmount Per Serving: Calories: 345Total Fat: 15gCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 34g
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