Chicken Marinara Spaghetti Squash Boats

I had some awesome spaghetti squash at a restaurant called Le Grande Orange when I was in Arizona over Christmas break, and ever since then I’ve been wanting to cook some. I looked all over for a good recipe this week, and settled on my own adaptation of a recipe I found on Skinnytaste I think they turned out pretty dang awesome. Chicken Marinara Spaghetti Squash Boats: Serves 2

Ingredients: 1 medium spaghetti squash, 6 oz of grilled chicken, 1 cup marinara sauce, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

Directions: You can cook your spaghetti squash in the oven if you’d like, but I cooked mine in the microwave. To cook it in the microwave, stab it with a fork 8-10 times. Place it in a microwave safe dish for 10-12 minutes. Let it sit for 5-7 more minutes before you touch it, so it can continue steaming and cool down a bit. While the spaghetti squash is cooking, cut your chicken into bite size pieces and grill it or cook it up in a skillet with oregano and garlic powder. (I would say about 1/4-1/2 tsp of each) When your squash is down, cut it in half length-wise. Use a fork to remove seeds, and to fluff the squash into spaghetti strands. Season the squash with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 400. Put 1/4 cup of marinara over each half the squash. Put 3 oz of the cooked chicken on each squash half. Cover with 1/4 cup of marinara on each half. Cover each squash with 1/4 cup of cheese. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is brown, bubbly, and melted.

This meal was so easy, and so delicious. It is also very easy to portion, just consider 1/2 a squash for each person you are cooking for. This is a great substitution for noodles if you are trying to eat a lower amount of carbohydrates, or if you are in need of gluten-free meals! I paired it with some oven roasted broccoli, and it hit the spot!