If ya haven’t tried this cheesy, comforting, veggie-based good and good-for-you bake yet… RUN, don’t walk, to a kitchen nearest you.
This recipe is
- Perfect for meal prep
- Keto-friendly
- Macro-minded
- Totally nutritious “comfort food”
Ingredients (yields 4 servings)
- 1 medium/large spaghetti squash
- 1/4 tsp olive oil, to roast the spaghetti squash
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 tsp ghee
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup heaping tbsp non-fat, plain greek yogurt
- 1/4-1/3 cup buffalo sauce (I love The New Primal)
- 3 oz shredded cheese of choice (I love equal parts mozzarella and cheddar), divided
- seasoning to taste: salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- scallion for topping
Method
- Preheat your oven to 425 degress
- Prepare your spaghetti squash: Cut the squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the spaghetti squash with cut-side up in a lightly greased baking dish. Brush the face of the squash with a dash of olive oil and season with a crack of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes before flipping and roast another 20. Once cool enough to handle, shred the squash, place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Prepare your chicken: While the spaghetti squash roasts, add 1/2 tsp ghee to a saucepan over medium-low heat. When the ghee is melted in the pan, add the diced onion and sauté until translucent an fragrant – about 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula and tossing frequently until no longer pink (we don’t want to over-cook in this step, since the chicken will continue to cook once the casserole is combined). Add a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder to lightly season. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Assemble the casserole: In a large mixing bowl, combine spaghetti squash, chicken and onion mixture, egg, cottage cheese, yogurt, buffalo sauce, and 1.5 ounces of the cheese blend. Mix thoroughly with a fork until completely combined. Transfer the mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish (I use an 8×8 square, it’s best when it’s thick!) and sprinkle the remaining 1.5 ounces of cheese on top.
- Cook the casserole: Bake for ~20 minutes, until casserole is bubbling and cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Storage tips
Allow to cool completely in the casserole dish prior to transferring to a storage container. I personally set mine in the fridge, uncovered, for several hours before portioning it.
Serving tips
Top with fresh scallion and pair with a side of green veggies (I love simply roasted brussels or steamed broccoli) or a side salad.
