Pesto Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Servings 4 servings
Looking for a healthy and delicious dinner recipe? This pesto chicken stuffed spaghetti squash is a flavourful and lower carb option for those who are craving a light and refreshing meal. Also, perfect for meal prep! {Paleo & gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 batch homemade pesto (or sub in one cup store-bought pesto)
- 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings:
- Shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and dig out the seeds. You can pop it in the microwave for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut.
- Place each squash half facing downwards in a baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. The spaghetti squash strands should be easy to fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile, prepare the shredded chicken using your favourite method. I like to boil the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes, but you can also prepare it in an instant pot, slow cooker or use a rotisserie chicken.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Alternatively, you can sub in store-bought pesto if desired.
- Toss the pesto with the shredded chicken and gently fold in the halved cherry tomatoes.
- Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, fluff it up using a fork, making sure that you scrape the strands off the sides of the squash. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on each half.
- Evenly distribute the chicken pesto mixture across each half, making sure that you fold the chicken mixture in with the spaghetti squash strands. Top with a sprinkle of cheese, if desired.
- Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
Notes
- To make this meal super easy, cook up the spaghetti squash in advance, so that you just have to top with the chicken pesto mixture and bake. You can store the cooked spaghetti squash in the fridge for up to three days.
- Use a cooked rotisserie chicken or prepare the shredded chicken in advance if you'd like to speed up the meal prep process even further.
- Make up a batch of the pesto in advance or use store-bought to make this recipe even more quick and easy!
- If you choose to add the cheese, use freshly grated cheese rather than pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives, which are added to help prevent the shreds from clumping together in the bag. That also means they don't melt together as well when cooking. Freshly grated cheese, on the other hand, lacks those additives so for the ultimate melty cheese, opt for freshly grated.
- When making the spaghetti squash boats, fold the chicken pesto mixture in with the spaghetti squash to ensure all those flavours are evenly distributed among the spaghetti squash strands. Don’t just simply place the chicken mixture on top of the spaghetti squash and call it a day. You want the flavour to get to the bottom of the spaghetti squash boats too.
Nutrition
Calories: 595kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 24gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 277mgPotassium: 969mgFiber: 8gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1901IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 4mg
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