Never-Blah Spaghetti Squash Hash

This recipe is such a blessing with some awesomely tasty ingredients including pepperonis, avocado and crushed pork rinds; stick with it! So full of flavor, I made it this past weekend and it was beyond good; I’ve already made another batch. 

Ingredients

• 1 small-medium squash
• 1 ounce uncured pepperonis (I like to use Applegate brand.)
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped kale (stems removed)
• 1 chopped avocado
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 sea salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp sage 
• 1 oz. (small handful) Epic Pork Rinds, crushed (I use the Epic brand Sea Salt and Black Pepper. See the image below so you’ll know what to grab. They’re also so fun for snacking!)
• Optional: chopped fresh parsley and basil to finish

1. Roast spaghetti squash. Prick a few holes in the flesh and place the whole squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll know it’s ready when the flesh is soft when you press it. (This is my favorite way to roast it for a myriad of reasons, but one of which is that I’m always afraid I’ll slip with the knife if I cut it in half first while it’s still so stinkin’ hard.) Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes. Using a large knife, cut it in half lengthwise. Easy-peasy.  Scoop out the seeds from the center of each half and discard. Then scoop out all the squash strings onto a plate or bowl.
2. In a cast iron skillet, sauté 1 ounce of chopped uncured pork pepperonis over medium heat. Remove from skillet and set aside for now. Leave the little bit of drippings for the turkey.
3. Add ground turkey to the skillet. Add all the spices to to the turkey. Once turkey is almost browned, add in the chopped kale. Continue cooking until turkey is completely cooked and kale is wilted. Once cooked, remove turkey and kale from skillet.
4. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and then add all of spaghetti squash if using a small squash or 3/4 of it if using a medium size. Add in the turkey/kale mixture (use all if you want it more meaty or less if not), pepperonis, and diced avocado. Do not skip the avocado; it makes this dish sing. Mix well and spread evenly in the skillet. (Tip: If I don’t use all my turkey/kale mixture in the hash, I love to use the leftovers to sprinkle as an easy protein on salads.)
5. Sprinkle hash with the crushed pork rinds. Place in 425 degree oven to toast pork rinds and let flavors love on each other, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley and basil. Enjoy.