Spaghetti Squash Flatbread

I've been obsessed with spaghetti squash ever since trying it, and really got excited when I made Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust.  I started making it semi frequently, and when I grabbed another squash on sale recently, I wanted to change up the recipe a bit.  Flatbreads are a great appetizer or meal, and often come in a load of different varieties.  I decided to try two flatbreads for dinner: one with a balsamic sauce and ground turkey topping and the other with barbecue and turkey.  

Though barbecue chicken pizza is a more common type, I had plenty of turkey on hand and knew I could cook up the turkey with some basic seasoning to use on both.  So I started out with about 1 1/2 pounds of turkey, browning it in a large skillet and seasoning it lightly with chili powder, salt and pepper.  I cooked in some chopped onion and minced garlic as well.

I made the flatbread crust following the same method I had in the pizza crust recipe, by first roasting the spaghetti squash, then mixing in egg, cheese, cornmeal and seasonings.  Then, I formed the squash mixture into two rectangles, and spread them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet sprinkled with some cornmeal.  This was a tip from my friends mom--she uses it to add some texture to the bottom of the crust when making her own cauliflower crust.  I baked the flatbread crusts for about 20 minutes until they had dried out enough for toppings.

Now for the fun part--toppings!  To make the balsamic sauce, I added some balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and cooked it on medium low for about 10 minutes until the sauce had reduced and thickened.  I then spread it on top of one of the crusts and added barbecue sauce to the other.

Next, I added some ground turkey to both flatbreads.  I also put some extra chopped onion on the balsamic flatbread.

And of course I can't forget the most important ingredient to a pizza or flatbread: cheese!  For the balsamic pizza, I added some mixed italian cheeses, and for the barbecue I went with a mix of italian and cheddar cheese.

I popped these bad boys in the oven for about 10 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese.

I was really pleased at how these turned out.  That balsamic sauce came out fantastic, but did soak into the pizza quite a bit.  This didn't bother us, however to avoid this I would try letting the sauce cool a bit before adding it to the crust.  Taste wise these were great -- it's tough to pick a favorite between the two but that barbecue sauce one was a knockout.  It's fun to play with dinner like this--I can imagine endless options with making a bunch of mini individual pizzas. Plus, it's another meal loaded with veggies. Did I mention how much I love spaghetti squash?!

Spaghetti Squash Flatbread Recipe

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 small spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 eggs
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1 1/2 cups shredded mixed Italian cheese
2 teaspoons corn meal

For the toppings:
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 1/2 lb Ground turkey

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

For the balsamic sauce:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and innards from the center, leaving only the firm parts of the squash. Rub or spray the insides with some olive oil to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange face down on a baking tray. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the squash is fork tender. In the meantime, season ground turkey with salt, pepper, and chili powder and cook in a large skillet with onion and garlic.  Make balsamic sauce by adding balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cooking for about 10 minutes, until sauce is reduced.  Remove spaghetti squash from oven. Use a fork to run through the squash, creating the spaghetti. Add to a large bowl. Press cooked spaghetti squash through a strainer to drain most of the water, then add to a bowl. Mix in eggs, minced garlic, oregano, parsley, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, and the corn meal until well combined.  Line a round baking sheet with parchment paper.  Form spaghetti squash mixture into a crust shape and bake for 15 minutes, until crust is firm.  Remove from oven and add sauce and toppings.  Bake for 10-15 more minutes, until cheese is melted.