Tender spaghetti squash noodles mixed with the flavours of BBQ chicken pizza, served in the shell, topped with plenty of melted cheese!
Spaghetti squash is a super fun food! Instead of getting mushy when cooked, like pumpkin or butternut squash, it gets stringy, like spaghetti noodles. You can cook it and serve it like spaghetti, topped with a sauce, but it’s also fun to serve it in the shell! The basic idea is to start with smaller squash, small enough that a half a squash is enough for one serving, roast it, shred it into noodles, add extras and serve it in the shell. The stuffing in this recipe is inspired by BBQ chicken pizza, including chicken, peppers, onions, pineapple, hot peppers, and cheese! Other than taking some time to roast the squash, this recipe is really easy, especially if you already have some cooked chicken available! Once the squash is roasted, shredded and the other ingredients are all mixed together, it’s returned to the shell, topped with cheese, and baked again, until the cheese melts! In addition to the fabulous flavours, one of the best things about this recipe is that it’s a complete meal in one bowl, I mean shell!
BBQ Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Prep Time:10 minutes Cook Time:35 minutes Total Time:45 minutes Servings: 4
Tender spaghetti squash noodles mixed with the flavours of BBQ chicken pizza, served in the shell, topped with plenty of melted cheese!
ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded
- 1 teaspoon oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (or sliced)
- 1 cup pineapple, sliced into bite sized pieces (optional)
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced or diced
- 1/4 cup hot peppers (optional)
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella), shredded
directions
- Brush the inner flesh of the spaghetti squash with oil, season with salt and pepper and roast, cut side up, in a preheated 400F/200C oven until tender, about 30 minutes.
- Use a fork to pull the spaghetti squash ‘noodles’ from the shells, mix with the chicken, pineapple, bell pepper, onion, hot peppers, and BBQ sauce before returning to the shells.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top and return to the oven to bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes
Option: Add 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled!
