Spaghetti squash. You might think you don’t like it or that it’s boring; I disagree, you will and it doesn't have to be!
My mom made spaghetti squash as I was growing up, so it’s always been something I've made for myself in the fall and winter, but Michael had never had spaghetti squash before we started dating. It’s actually one of the first dinners I made for him; I treated it like spaghetti and topped it with a Bolognese sauce and a dollop of ricotta cheese, and he’s been a convert ever since, picking it up at the store on his own too! Now, my Buffalo Chicken Bake is one of his favorite ways to enjoy spaghetti squash. While on its own spaghetti squash is mild in flavor and watery, it is very adaptable, easily taking on any flavors you add, making it a great grain free alternative for bakes and casseroles. In my Buffalo Chicken Bake, the spaghetti squash plays an important, supporting role, carrying a creamy, buffalo sauce through every bite. My Buffalo Chicken Bake is a low carb way to enjoy your buffalo kick, complete with all the standard buffalo wing accompaniments - carrots, celery, and Blue cheese. I use a medium buffalo sauce here which results in a pronounced but somewhat mild buffalo flavor when combined with cream cheese, yogurt, and spaghetti squash, but you can adjust the spice level to your liking by using a more mild or more aggressive buffalo sauce.
Buffalo Chicken Bake
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, about 3 ½ - 4 pounds
2 tablespoons avocado or extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced small (2 cups)
4 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced (1 ½ cups)
2 large carrots, diced small (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz cream cheese, softened and room temperature
¾ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
½ cup hot sauce
1 pound shredded rotisserie chicken
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 oz crumbled Blue cheese
How to make Buffalo Chicken Bake
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Lightly brush cut sides with avocado or extra virgin olive oil. Place the halves, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 40 minutes, until fully cooked – shell will soften and yield to the pressure of your finger or back of a spoon. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. Rake the inside flesh, forming spaghetti like strands and remove from shell and place in a colander set over a bowl and allow to drain while spaghetti squash cools completely. (Spaghetti squash can be prepared to this stage several hours in advance.)
Reduce oven to 400 degrees.
Once completely cooled, gently squeeze the spaghetti squash in the colander to release any excess water – try to remove as much moisture as you can without smooshing the spaghetti squash. Set squash aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon avocado or extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add onions and carrots and sauté 10 minutes. Add celery and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until very fragrant, about 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese and Greek yogurt and whisk together until fully combined and smooth. Mix in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add hot sauce and whisk to combine.
Gently stir in spaghetti squash strands until well combined and there are no clumps of spaghetti squash. Stir in cooled onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Add shredded chicken and stir until well distributed.
In a 9 x 13 baking dish, spread the spaghetti squash mixture into an even layer. (Can be prepared up to this point in advance and refrigerated for several hours or overnight, take out of refrigerator about 45 minutes before baking). Sprinkle crumbled Blue cheese over top and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with an additional drizzle of buffalo sauce if desired.
Comments