An easy chicken spaghetti squash casserole that has a creamy cheese sauce. It can be made with your choice of low-carb vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower.
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I recently discovered that I wasn't preparing spaghetti squash properly when using as a noodle substitute in casseroles.
There is one thing that really should be done if you are putting the strands from a roasted spaghetti squash into a dish.
This little tip will keep your dish from becoming runny, as there is a lot of water in spaghetti squash that can ruin a casserole if the excess isn't removed first.
The best way to remove the excess water from spaghetti squash is to use a clean kitchen towel to absorb the moisture out. I like to line a large bowl with a towel and then add the spaghetti squash strands in.
I let it sit for a little bit and let the towel draw out water, then I take the towel out of the bowl with the spaghetti squash still in it and squeeze gently to get as much water out as I can.
The towel will get very wet, which means you just saved all that water from ruining your casserole. I use this tip now for spiralized and grated vegetables too. Other squash like zucchini and summer squash also contain large amounts of water.
There is a lot of flexibility with this keto squash casserole. I added a bag of frozen broccoli, but you can add any vegetable mix you'd like, and it doesn't have to be frozen.
I had a bag of pork rinds in the pantry, so I crushed up some to put on top of the casserole. If you don't have any, feel free to leave them out or add more cheese.
There are starchy fillers added to cheese that is pre-grated, so go for the block of cheese and grate it fresh yourself. You'll save yourself some unnecessary carbs by grating your cheese yourself. Just invest in a good box grater!
I'm a big fan of cheesy casseroles so I typically cover the top of my casseroles with cheese. If you don't like cheddar, you can swap it out with another cheese. I used aged sharp cheddar to top of this chicken spaghetti squash casserole which is one of our favorites.
If you'd rather cut back on the protein and serve this as a side dish, just leave the chicken meat out. I've also got another cheesy spaghetti squash casserole recipe that you can check out, which is more of a side dish.
Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe
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Recipe
Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 small spaghetti squash
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- ½ cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup coconut milk can or carton
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 boneless & skinless chicken thighs cooked and cubed
- 12 ounce bag frozen broccoli or vegetable of choice
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup crushed pork rinds optional
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Roast spaghetti squash, remove flesh strands and squeeze out excess water using a clean kitchen towel. Set spaghetti squash strands aside.
- In 9x13-inch casserole dish, combine butter, coconut flour, chicken stock, milk, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in chicken meat, broccoli, spaghetti squash strands, and grated Parmesan.
- Top with pork rinds (if using) and shredded cheddar.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 400°F or until browned.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Liz
Hi! We LOVE this recipe!! Do you have any tips on freezing it? Would you freeze after everything has cooked in the oven? Before? With/without the cheese topping? Thanks so much!
Rachel Degenstein
Yummy. I did use the whole can of coconut milk and upped the other sauce ingredients accordingly. I used 1.5 pounds of cooked chicken, 3 cups of spaghettil squash, and 12 oz fresh brocolli, lightly steamed. Everyone loved this, children and adults alike.
Sandy Gray
I don’t have gluten free flour or coconut milk. Can I successfully substitute?
Lisa MarcAurele
I just use that as a thickener. So you could use another thickening agent as needed.
Jodi
Hi, I bought chicken breasts, and chicken thighs. I thought I'd roast it in the oven while I was roasting the squash. Any tips or, how does everyone season their chicken? Thanks!!
Lisa MarcAurele
I usually just do a simple seasoning of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. But you can add in other herbs and spices. Poultry seasoning is another good option.
Karen Mosbrucker
This was perfect! My husband had two helpings and he's not a big squash eater. Thank you!
Karen
Lisa
Awesome! Spaghetti squash is certainly different than most squash.
CJ
How long do you cook the spaghetti squash and at what temperature? Do you thaw the broccoli or ad it frozen?
Lisa
I like to cook it in the crock-pot or Instant Pot. I rarely roast it in the oven. If you use an oven, I roast at 400°F for about 45-50 minutes with it cut in half with cut side down. I also use the broccoli frozen.
Amanda
What can you use as a substitue for the coconut milk if you don't have any on hand? Regular milk or almond milk?
Lisa
I'd use almond milk.
Martha Usher
Can you use heavy cream to sub for coconut milk or should I use almond milk?
Lisa
I'd dilute the heavy cream with a little water to use as a sub. Or, you could use almond milk.
April
I made this dish this weekend and it's amazing. Easily makes 6 large servings but it can be stretched to 7-8 moderate size servings. I used two packages of chicken thighs for a total of 12 chicken thighs. Kept everything else the same. Slightly a lot of meat so one package of 6 would work well.
Lisa
Thanks for the tips!
Stacey
Has anyone substituted coconut water and flour for anything else? Do you use milk instead or gluten free flour? Will that work.
Lisa
You can use a little psyllium or xanthan gum in place of the coconut flour. It's just used as a thickener in this recipe.
Michele Varga
I used cow's milk and regular flour.
Lisa
If you aren't following low carb and gluten-free, those ingredients are fine.
EllenCF
could you use fresh broccoli or cauliflower?
Lisa
I only use frozen for convenience. Fresh is always an option to frozen in casseroles. You may need to steam it a bit first, though.
Tonya
For those who come after:
I used fresh broccoli without steaming it first (didn't read this note until the pan was already in the oven) and I actually like the mouthfeel of the little bit of crunch the broccoli retains. Plus, less work.
I also used coconut oil for the butter and Daiya for the cheese to make it dairy-free; and it is SUPER TASTY!
Thanks Lisa!
Lisa
Thanks Tonya! Good to know.
Michelle
Love this recipe idea! I have a spaghetti squash on my counter as we speak. Can you tell me at what point do you add it to the casserole dish? I just see the part about setting it aside after you squeeze out the extra water. Thanks!
Lisa
Oops! I added it along with the chicken and broccoli.
Bethany from Athletic Avocado
I love using spaghetti squash in place of noodles, it tastes amazing! This casserole looks so comforting and filling, perfect for a weeknight meal!