Squash Recipe + Spaghetti Squash with Chicken

I've always wanted to try spaghetti squash but most of the recipes I see are meatless. I like meat. So with that said, I kept it on the healthy side and used ground chicken. I made this for my family and even my 5-year-old who hates veggies loved it, although I did tell him it was just spaghetti.

Ingredients

• 2 (4 pound) spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
• 15 medium cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ large green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ large red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ large orange bell pepper, diced
• ½ large yellow bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup minced red onion
• ½ pound ground chicken
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pierce squash all over with a sharp knife for ventilation and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Bake in the preheated oven until tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.
3. While the squash is baking, combine parsley, basil, and oregano in a small bowl. Put cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion in a separate bowl. Set both aside.
4. When the squash has about 10 minutes remaining, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
5. Remove squash from the oven and let cool slightly. Slice in half and remove seeds.
6. Add olive oil and garlic to the skillet used to cook the chicken; cook over medium heat until you can smell the garlic, about 1 minute. Add fresh herb mixture and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the vegetable mixture and saute just until they have softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add ground chicken.
7. Take a fork and shred one half of the spaghetti squash lengthwise into the skillet. Mix well and saute for about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining spaghetti squash.
8. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and serve.

Nutrition Facts

• calories329.8
• carbohydrateContent49.2 g
• cholesterolContent26.7 mg
• fatContent10.6 g
• fiberContent1.5 g
• proteinContent16.3 g
• saturatedFatContent2.7 g
• sodiumContent247 mg
• sugarContent2.2 g