Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, rind side up, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Source: allrecipes.com

Try #1 - November 25, 2012
This was very good.  I used 1/2 lb ground beef and doubled the amount of tomatoes.  The kids really liked it - Abby had seconds!  A good use of spaghetti squash.

Penne with Chicken Thighs

8 whole chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jars (24 oz each) marinara sauce
Fresh basil - to taste
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
16 oz penne or rigatoni

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs quickly on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a separate pan.
3. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp grease/oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir to heat. Add chicken thighs back into the sauce. Cover and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. (You may also simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat possible, or place in crock pot for 4 hours on high - see note below.)
4. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Serve one chicken thigh with sauce over pasta, adding more marinara if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil strips and serve.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/10/penne-with-chicken-thighs/

Try #1 - November 1, 2012
Megan made this for me after Lucy was born, and it was delicious! My first try was just as good.  I used a mix of one jar of marinara sauce, plus about 14oz diced tomatoes, plus about 1/2 cup of leftover homemade pasta sauce.  I used 6 thighs.  I ended up having to split it into two casserole dishes for baking (I don't have a Dutch oven), but it worked fine.  We ended up with about a cup of leftover pasta sauce, which is fine with me - it was delicious and I'll gladly use it for a quick pasta lunch!

Try #?? - January 9, 2014
I've made this several times, and it's been a hit every time.  This time I decided to try it in the crockpot... and the end result seemed to be the same.  I still browned the thighs in the skillet, although they were still partially frozen on the inside and went into the crock pot that way.  I cooked it for 4 hours on high, and it came out great!  My crock pot is much roomer than any of my oven casserole dishes, so I think I'll use this method from now on.  Plus it's more energy efficient. :)