Cooking with Friends: Camp Southern Ground's Spaghetti and Meatballs

close

Video

Cooking with 'Friends': Camp Southern Ground

Johnny Joey Jones shares a spaghetti squash with meatballs recipe.

Johnny Joey Jones served and sacrificed for our nation as Marine bomb technician. And he continues to serve our military community with Camp Southern Ground – a summer camp for military kids! Jones joined us with Chef Collins, the executive chef at Camp Southern Ground, to share the camp-goers’ favorite dish! For more information on the camp, go to: campsouthernground.org.

CAMP SOUTHERN GROUND’S SPAGHETTI SQUASH AND CHICKEN MEATBALLS
For the squash:
2 small/medium spaghetti squash
2 zucchini, cut into half-inch half moons
6 tbsp. butter or olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 c. parmesan, shaved
1 c. asiago, shaved
1 c. pecorino, shaved
1 c. fresh parsley, rough chop

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 lb. ground turkey
1 c. gluten-free bread crumbs
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, fine chop
2 tbsp. fresh tarragon, fine chop
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ c. onion, minced
1 c. pecorino, grated
1 tbsp. ground fennel
2 eggs, whisked
1 lemon, zest only
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, so you have 4 halves. Scoop out the seeds in the center. Season inside the squash with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the inside flesh of the squash face down on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Once cooked, remove spaghetti squash from oven and let rest/cool for 10 minutes. After it’s cooled, carefully remove the flesh from inside the shell, while keeping the shell intact.
While the squash cooks, make the meatballs. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all of the meatball ingredients together. Form into 2 oz. balls, placing evenly spaced out on a baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10-12 minutes.
While the meatballs are cooking, in a sauté pan, melt the butter on medium low heat. Sauté the zucchini for about 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat to low, and add in the spaghetti squash, granulated garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and half of the parsley. Remove meatballs from the oven and add them, into the pan. Carefully mix everything together. Then evenly spoon in the sautéed mixture back into the spaghetti squash shells, top with all three cheeses and remaining parsley.