Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Mushrooms

Every other week or so, I will cook 2-3 spaghetti squash to keep in the fridge. I use it to replace pasta and rice in recipes and it is very versatile with most spices and seasonings. On a busy weeknight, pre-cooked spaghetti squash is a huge time-saver. This recipe from Cooking Light includes the directions for cooking the squash with the rest of the meal. If you have already pre-cooked squash, just leave that step out and serve the chicken mushroom mixture over it before serving.

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Mushrooms

1 (3.5-pound) spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped

1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1.5 cups chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Poblano pepper

8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil

1 1/4 cup cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

6 ounces fresh spinach, thinly sliced into ribbons

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1. Preheat broiler. Cut poblano in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 5 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 400 °.

4. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash halves cut side down in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Add water to measure 1/2-inch deep. Bake at 400 ° for 45 minutes. Turn squash over; bake an additional 15 minutes or until tender; cool. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove strands to measure 6 cups. Keep warm.

5. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Cool and crumble. Increase heat to medium-high; sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to drippings in pan and cook 4 minutes; remove from pan.

6. Heat remaining 11/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan and cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, reserved bacon, Poblano, garlic and Italian seasoning to pan; cook 1 minute.

7. Stir in mushrooms and cook 4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add wine to pan and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add reserved chicken, chicken broth, tomatoes, and spinach to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly; stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

8. Place about 1 cup squash on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1 cup chicken mixture and 2 teaspoons remaining cheese.

To save even more time, I often make a big batch of chicken on the weekend. If you have already pre-cooked your chicken and spaghetti squash during your weekend meal prep, all that is left is roasting the pepper and cooking the vegetables. I will make this again because it was GREAT!

This post created on behalf of the Cooking Light Bloggers’ Connection