Cheesy Spaghetti Squash and Chicken Bake

Inspired By THIS

 

My kids don't like spaghetti squash (which isn't stopping me from serving it, repeatedly and in a variety of forms, in the hopes I can convert them).  I even found out, as Husband and I were cleaning up after dinner, that he's "not a huge fan" of spaghetti squash.  Gee, everyone...sorry I served this.  But wait!  They all ate some!  And upon further pressing Husband, he said it was actually good because he didn't notice the squash much.  So...hmm.  Make again?  I think I will, because I liked it, it was easy, and it was filling.  Next time I'll serve more side dishes with it so that family members can enjoy a smaller portion of the main dish without reaching their spaghetti squash saturation point.  I'd think this would be a good make-ahead dish and also work well for sharing.

 

This filled a 9x13" baking dish with two servings left over for the next day's lunch.  Next time I'll add some chopped onion and green pepper to provide another layer of taste and texture.  Which will just ensure that my kids pick out the vegetable-y additions, negating their usage to everyone but me.

 

Ingredients

2 medium ripe spaghetti squash, cooked and cooled

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

olive oil

1 to 2 oz cream cheese, softened [I used reduced-fat]

salt and fresh pepper, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 cups tomato sauce, divided [I used Classico]

1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, divided

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

(2) Remove all spaghetti squash strands from skin; place in large mixing bowl.  Break it up with forks.

(3) In medium skillet, saute onion and green pepper in a small amount of olive oil until softened.  Toss with squash.

(4) Add cream cheese to squash; mix until well combined.

(5) Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano to squash mixture; stir thoroughly.

(6) Spread squash mixture evenly in a 9x13" baking dish.  Sprinkle with half of shredded cheese.

(7) Spread one cup of tomato sauce over mixture.

(8) Evenly distribute chicken over sauce.  Top with remaining sauce and cheese.

(9) Cover dish with foil.  Bake approximately 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Remove foil and bake an additional several minutes.

 

Kid Participation: None, though *J* did have fun helping me scoop out the seeds from the raw squashes earlier in the day.  He said it reminded him of carving pumpkins at Halloween.