Okay, so Fall is finally here, but honestly where the hell is the sweater weather??? While I blast my AC in this DC humidity waiting around for it, I’ll try to bring on all the Fall vibes with this Buffalo chicken spaghetti squash boat recipe. I have a feeling this is the first of MANY spaghetti squash recipes to come…
This is PERFECT for Fall for two reasons:
- Fall is all about whipping out some classic #gameday dishes to help you cheer on your favorite team. Let’s Go Hokies!! And, Eli, let’s try not to embarrass ourselves every Sunday tooooo much this year, alright?? Yes, my family are Giants fans and yes, our family dog is named Eli. And yes, I’m going on another tangent (but you were already warned about those here). BUT, buffalo chicken is pretty much a given at any tailgate, no? This packs all the flavor of your favorite dip, but uses, in my opinion, cleaner ingredients than the standard recipe.
- Squash on squash on squash. As much as I’ll miss the fresh berries and figs of Summer, I’m excited to be making new recipes featuring all my favorite Fall goodies. There’s a time and a place for seasonal fruits and veggies. And honestly, it just makes them that more enticing to eat when you can’t get them fresh all year round.
You guys KNOW I freakin’ hate doing dishes, and this recipe saves on them since you can legit eat it right out of the squash skin (i.e. the “boat” that holds all the buff chick goodness).
The best part about this? You can speed this process up by microwaving the spaghetti squash, which is described here. And you’re welcome, I just did the work for you, Googled it and picked the first article that came up 🙂
Alright, let’s get to it:
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Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Boats
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Prep Time: 5 minutes -
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
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Total Time: 45-50 minutes
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Yield: 2 large portions; 4 small portions
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Pin RecipeDescription
The perfect fall recipe that combines seasonal squash and a game day favorite – buffalo chicken!
Ingredients
- One Spaghetti squash (did you know that Trader Joe’s produce is not priced by weight, aka you pay the same regardless of the size you get? That means, go to TJ’s and pick out the largest one you can find)
- Olive Oil Spray, or 2 TBSP olive oil if you don’t have spray
- 12 oz chicken – refer to notes below
- 1/2 cup Franks Buffalo sauce
- 1/8 cup Primal Kitchen Ranch (my FAVE, contains minimal ingredients and no crap)
- 2oz Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese (or 1/4 a standard block of cream cheese)
- 1-2 celery stalks, chopped (utilize a salad bar at your grocery store to get this so you don’t have to buy a whole package!)
- Optional – chopped scallions and red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
PREP THE SQUASH
Preheat the oven to 375.
Cut the squash in half, lengthwise with a VERY sharp knife. Put some muscle into it because the skin is pretty tough. If you don’t have a sharp enough knife, pierce the squash a couple times to make some “slits”, microwave for 5 minutes, and try cutting again. Microwaving should help soften it up.
Remove the seeds. You can do this with a fork or like I did and just get in there with your hands. It’s more fun that way. Set aside if you want to roast them later!
Season the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper before facing each half DOWN on a parchment lined baking sheet. I think facing them down helps steam them better, as the hollow center, where the seeds used to be, traps in heat while the squash bakes.
Bake for 40-45 minutes.
PREP THE FILLING
When the squash has about 5 more minutes left to cook, you’ll want to prep the buffalo chicken mixture.
In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken, ranch, and cream cheese of choice over medium/high heat. Stir the mixture until thoroughly combined, then turn down to low to keep warm while the squash finishes up. Since I used pre-cooked chicken, I didn’t have to worry about the chicken cooking through aka such a time saver.
Add the chopped celery to the buffalo chicken mixture once the spaghetti squash is done. You don’t need to cook it with the other ingredients in the step above. This helps prevent it from getting soggy (ick). Celery not your thing? You can obviously skip it, but I love the crunch it adds.
COMBINE THE TWO
Take a fork and scrape the inside of the squash until the spaghetti-like pieces pull away from the skin.
Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture into each one of the halves.
Top with scallions and red pepper flakes. If you want this into 4 portions, cut the halves in half.
Serve immediately (although this does keep well for up to 2 days. Just reheat in the microwave!)
Notes
- I used Trader Joe’s Roast chicken, which is only seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper! My rule of thumb when I buy pre-cooked meats is to try to buy items the way I would make them myself. Sometimes you see sugar sneaking it’s way onto the ingredient listing, and think about it…why would you add sugar to chicken?? Unnecessary. Read those labels, babes. Another great option is to use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Did you save the seeds? Let’s roast them! I covered mine in Trader Joe’s pumpkin pie spice and some flaked Maldon sea salt.
- Rinse the seeds you set aside in a straighter under cold water to remove all the “gunk” off them, then dry them off in a paper towel. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet, season how you’d like, and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until crispy. These would be great salad toppers! Or just a snack to eat by the handful. You decide.
Keywords: buffalo chicken spaghetti squash
You’re not going to want to skip out on these roasted seeds. Trust me.
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