french onion “meatball” stuffed spaghetti squash

I love how I posted my whole Thanksgiving menu the other week without having introduced ya’ll to any of the main dishes.

Good job, asshole.

Well, now we’ve two real fabulous options for your dinner in two weeks. Not even two, like a week and a half. What the pants. I feel like we’re being bumrushed into the end of the year – which I absolutely do not want – before we even have time to change our underwear. Ridiculous. About as ridiculous as that analogy right there.

So, I’ve still got some Thanksgiving content to share. Had to make a few modifications along the way since a couple recipes didn’t work out to my satisfaction, and a couple others surprised me in a positive way. Thankfully, these cute lil French Onion “Meatball” Stuffed Spaghetti Squash are locked and loaded for your holiday tables.

What have we here? Herby chickpea meatballs, sweet white wine caramelized onions, and plenty of gruyere and mozzarella cheeses – all ingredients for a fantastic cozy main. Perfect for your vegetarian guests or your vegetarian self, or anyone with an open mind. A bit more long winded that my usual recipes, but perfection regardless.

Have I convinced you? Probably not, because I’m shit at marketing speak, but if I’ve kept your attention this long, let’s fucken go, shall we?

Let’s Play Squash

Pre-warning: raw spaghetti squashes can be difficult to halve, especially if they’re fucken gargantuan. I would recommend avoiding the big honkers for this recipe, but if that’s all you can find, well, work it, gurl.

What I do to soften the squash before baking is popping them in the microwave. Shank some holes into the gourd with a fork and heat about 6-8 minutes, turning halfway through. Yes, this does cook the innards a little bit, but not significantly enough to render a fully done squash.

Cool the squashes until you can handle them (which in my case is right away because I have fucking dragon hands), then carefully slice in half with a large, sharp chef’s knife. Take heed to your slicing pattern and the pressure you apply with your hands/knife, else the squash might shatter. Been there, done that, sister, and it’s annoying as all fuck.

Scoop out all the goo and seeds from the centers and place cut-side up on a large baking sheet. Rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast about 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees. The squash should look a little golden, but certainly not burnt. That would suck butt.

French Balls

I had a different heading in mind, but decided that it was a bit too vulgar even for me, and you might not want to try out this dish if I had written it. Let’s just carry on…

Chickpea meatballs are a mainstay for me, ever since I dialed in on my self-perceived ideal formula (and folks who’ve tasted my balls agree). I tend to change up the seasonings based on the flavor profile of the dish, so this guy has a little French flare thanks to a smattering of gruyere.

Like what I did there?

Throw the following into a big ole food processor: canned chickpeas (drained), walnuts, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic cloves, an egg, fresh oregano, gruyere cheese shreds, and a bit of salt and pepper. Pulse into a cohesive but lumpy dough forms. Too smooth and your balls will be, well, too wet, and stubborn to browning.

Oil your hands and roll the batter into balls. Oiling helps prevent unnecessary stickage.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and sear the meatballs until browned on all sides. 8-10 minutes should do, with a turn every 1-2. Set the balls on a plate.

Fun with the On’

Yes, traditional caramelized onions is a lengthy process. I like to cut it down as much as I can for this recipe, however, to save time. You’re not sacrificing any flavor. I promise.

Keep the heat relatively high (like medium-high) and throw a couple tablespoons of butter in your skillet. Then, stir in the onions, some sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar works too in a pinch) and some salt and pepper.

Cook the onions down with 1/4 cup of dry white wine at a time, added every 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. The onions should be nicely browned by the 25-30 minute mark.

And now, it’s time to stuff the turkey I mean squash.

Divide the onions and meatballs among each squash boat. Sprinkle with lots of gruyere cheese and mozzarella. Pop the baking sheet back into the oven to 10-15 minutes until melted, gooey, and smelling like serious French restaurant heaven.

Serve these babies with a harvest salad and sangria, whether you’re saving the dish for Thanksgiving or not. Divine.

One final note: if you can’t find gruyere or it’s too expensive for your taste, Swiss cheese is a solid substitute. I use it in candid most of the time because I can’t be assed to spend $10 on a block of cheese. For special occasions (and recipe-testing accuracy), sure. For everyday life, nah.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Pardon my French:

French Onion Bourbon Soup

Baked French Onion Chickpea Meatballs

Herby Mushroom Swiss French Bread Pizza

French Red Wine Braised Jackfruit Stew