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Chicken Enchilada-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Chicken Enchilada-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
17 Reviews
From: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2016
This healthy 5-ingredient spaghetti squash recipe is a satisfying low-carb alternative to taco night. If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand, skip Step 2 and stir 2½ cups into the filling. Look for an enchilada sauce with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving, such as Hatch brand.
- By: Breana Killeen EatingWell Test Kitchen Manager
Ingredients 4 servings
for serving adjustment
Serving size has been adjusted!
Original recipe yields 4 servings
Nutrition per serving may change if servings are adjusted.
- 2 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 2½- to 3-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1¼ cups red enchilada sauce, divided
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
Preparation
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Active
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Ready In
- Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450degrees F.
- Place chicken in a medium saucepan, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and gently simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165degrees F, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, place squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish and add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until the flesh is tender, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven until the squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.)
- Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells into the large bowl. Place the shells on a broiler-safe pan. Stir 1 cup enchilada sauce, zucchini, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt into the squash and chicken. Divide the mixture between the shells; top with the remaining ¼ cup enchilada sauce and cheese.
- Bake on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Move to the upper rack, turn the broiler to high and broil, watching carefully, until the cheese starts to brown, about 2 minutes. To serve, cut each shell in half.
- Serving size: ½ stuffed squash half
- Per serving: 408 calories; 22 g fat(11 g sat); 4 g fiber; 20 g carbohydrates; 34 g protein; 46 mcg folate; 136 mg cholesterol; 7 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 1,113 IU vitamin A; 19 mg vitamin C; 278 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 426 mg sodium; 833 mg potassium
- Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (32% daily value), Calcium (28% dv), Vitamin A (22% dv)
- Carbohydrate Servings: 1½
- Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 3½ lean meat, 1 high-fat meat
Reviews 17
April 06, 2018
By: Beth Walker
What an outstanding recipe! I made this for my sister and niece through the suggestion of a friend - and he was spot on.
Based on his suggestions, while using the oven roasted method, after I cut the squash in half and deseeded it, I then brushed the inside ("meat" part) with olive oil and then sprinkled with salt & pepper before placing the "meat" side down in the casserole dish and roasting for 50 minutes at 425.
This recipe is ridiculously simple and flavorful.
I then substituted freshly diced red & green peppers, mushrooms and red onions instead of the zucchini. My reason for substituting was two-fold, 1. the freshly diced red & green peppers, mushrooms and red onions added to the Tex/Mex flavor theme and 2. I'm not a fan of zucchini (don't judge).
Perhaps this is why I like the recipe so much, you can tailor it to your 'healthy taco night' flavor profile and make it what you want with minimal effort. That being said, sliced black olives will definitely be added to the mix on the next reiteration.
Enjoy!
April 05, 2018
By: henrie.michael
As written I'm giving it a 3. When I do it again I'll likely rate it a 5. I should have done this the way I typically do spaghetti squash. face up at 450 with butter and spices. That way I get a nice hard shell. Doing the squash the way this recipe tells you to doesn't. The shells were soft and limp. I'll do this again because the flavor was excellent but hit the squash with the heat. It loves it.
March 16, 2018
By: RobinCandace
This was a little TOO simple. While quick to make, it was kind of boring. I added fresh cilantro and sauteed onions, and it was still kind of dull. Won't make it again.
February 15, 2018
By: Lucy
Delicius and easy to make. We had it for Valentine Day :-}
January 02, 2018
By: Beverly
This was one of the most simplistic, affordable, and tasty dishes that I've ever had. It took less than 30 minutes to make with just a few ingredients but the flavor was great!! I have a very finicky family and it is very hard to please all of them with one dish, but they all agreed on this one... it was delicious! I did not alter any of the ingredients.
September 04, 2017
By: JIMBO
Dang good recipe--Thx
April 17, 2017
By: Masayo Honjo
I baked the squash before stuffing. It made the shell almost too soft to stuff. Next time, I will try microwave. My daughter liked it! I think the most important thing is to choose a good enchilada sauce.
April 01, 2017
By: Karen
Love this one! I didn't make any changes to the recipe but I can think of lots of things that would go great with it.
March 07, 2017
By: FeMia
I loved the basics of the recipe, but made a few changes. I boiled the chicken in a mixture of low sodium chicken broth and dry white wine to add flavor to the chicken. I also added onions and mushrooms to the zucchini and sauteed the mixture in a teaspoon of olive oil before adding to the casserole. I also ditched the squash shells and put the mixture into a casserole dish, which made leftovers so much easier. The next time, I will also use a bit more enchilada sauce (perhaps about 4 - 5 oz. more). With my tweaks, the recipe came out quite flavorful, though I would add about 30 more calories per serving to the nutritional info if using my changes.
