These Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash Boats made with chicken are absolutely delicious and soooo simple to make. Spaghetti squash, marinara sauce, chicken and cheese make these the perfect dinner. They do have to bake for an hour and 25 minutes total, so planning for that is important. But they are so easy. The total prep time is only a few minutes. They are a meal that is extremely hands off. And spaghetti noodle squash feels so cozy to me. It screams fall and winter. The squash warms the house while it bakes and has a subtle fall smell. It's a great comfort food, yet this vegetable spaghetti is still packed full of nutrients and is low calorie. Not to mention this meal is so delicious. The whole family loves it and asks for more. We always make sure to make a bunch so that we have leftovers.
So Simple and Easy to Make
These spaghetti squash boats are just so easy to make. They are a go to for me when I don't know what to make. They're pretty mindless and are perfect for when I need to work in the afternoons/ evenings or have a lot going on with the kids.
Let's Make Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash Boats
First start with your spaghetti squash (also called vegetable marrow) and cut it in half vertically. Scoop out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350*F for about one hour. Use a fork to test for doneness. The outside should feel slightly soft.The meat of the squash should pull away from the edges when you put your fork in and pull.
Put a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the boat, then a layer of shredded chicken. Cover generously with your favorite spaghetti sauce then top with more cheese.
Return to the oven and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. I like to turn on the broiler at the end for a minute or so to get the cheese extra bubbly. If you use the broiler, don't walk away from your vegetable spaghetti boats! There have been ta few times that I have walked away and returned 4 or 5 minutes later to charred cheese. Broiling goes very quickly.
Fluff the squash with a fork, pulling it away from the edges, and serve! Sometimes as we get deeper into the squash we find that we need more sauce. Feel free to add more sauce!
Other Squash Recipes:
The Best Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Summer Squash Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash Boats
- Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash Boats made with chicken are flavorful, absolutely delicious and soooo simple to make.
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash (around 3 pounds)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 2 cups shredded chicken (canned, from a rotisserie, or just boiled)
- 12 ounces spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Cut the spaghetti squash (or vegetable marrow) in half vertically.
- Scoop out the seeds.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350*F for about one hour. Use a fork to test for doneness. The outside should feel slightly soft.The meat of the squash should pull away from the edges when you put your fork in and pull.
- Put a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the boat, then a layer of shredded chicken.
- Cover generously with your favorite spaghetti sauce then top with more cheese. I find that not all of the spaghetti sauce fits in the boats at this stage, add the rest of the sauce later, when eating your boat.
- Return to the oven and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. I like to turn on the broiler at the end for a minute or so to get the cheese extra bubbly. If you use the broiler, make sure to stay attentive and don't let the cheese burn. Broiling goes very quickly.
- Fluff the squash with a fork, pulling it away from the edges, and serve! Sometimes as we get deeper into the squash we find that we need more sauce, this is when you'll add the rest of it.
Notes
This freezes well. To freeze, fluff the squash after cooking and freeze unassembled. When using frozen spaghetti squash, use a casserole dish or similar and layer and bake as described above.
This also makes amazing leftovers. Just reheat in the microwave until hot. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash boats with chicken, spaghetti squash boats, vegetable marrow, vegetable spaghetti, noodle squash, easy healthy dinner
Hannah Daines
SO DELICIOUS AND SO EASY!! This was perfect and super simple! We wished we had made more!! Would recommend to anyone and everyone!
★★★★★
JCaryl
So yummy, and so full of flavor and so easy and so healthy. Kids loved it too. Will make again.
★★★★★