This Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole is about to be a new staple in your house. It's super easy to make, packed with veggies, and loaded with flavour. The best part? it's perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
I still remember the first time I tried spaghetti squash before it was trendy. I thought it was THE coolest vegetable ever. Like how can a squash just come out in these perfect little noodles? Well spaghetti squash got even better the day I made this buffalo chicken spaghetti squash casserole. It has veggies, carbs, protein, fat aka it's a perfect meal everyone will enjoy!
Despite how cool I thought spaghetti squash was I absolutely hated that it took me over 40 minutes to bake it in the oven. Like who has that kind of time or organization? NOT ME. I know there is a way you can cook it in the microwave too but for some reason I always felt like it was going to explode? So behold my secret to getting the perfect spaghetti squash in less than 15 minutes....
How I cook my Spaghetti Squash to Perfection in Less than 15 Minutes:
The instant pot (bonus this one also air fries)! Honestly being able to cook a perfect spaghetti squash in 12 minutes makes the entire instant pot purchase worth it. It is so easy and it comes out perfect every single time!
- Carefully slice your spaghetti squash in half length wise (starting from the stem).
- Remove seeds using a spoon.
- Add one cup of water into your instant pot, and place the basket in the bottom of the pot to ensure the squash won't burn!
- Add you spaghetti squash halves into the pot (whatever way they fit best, it's ok if they are overlapping).
- Close the lid, turn the knob to the sealing position, set your instant pot to manual mode and cook for 12 minutes on high pressure.
- Once done, carefully manually release the pressure and remove the spaghetti squash. Allow to cool and use a fork to scrape out the fleshy part to create the perfect "spaghetti" squash!
At this point I feel like we all know how much I love an easy meal. I love those meals that require minimal prep, minimal ingredients but still taste amazing and pack in the nutrients. This is one of those meals. My weeknight curry, stuffed sweet potatoes and turkey chili are also one of those meals. Seriously if you scroll through the lunch/ dinner section on my site you'll find the common themes is they are all incredibly easy lol. That's because my goal is to always help individuals rediscover the joy of cooking and nutrition (without all the hassle)!
What Ingredients do I need for this Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole?
Spaghetti Squash- DUH! you can't have a spaghetti squash casserole without a spaghetti squash! Try to find a medium sized spaghetti squash if you can but if not leftovers are always welcome!
Chicken- This recipe uses chicken breasts that I pull to make shredded chicken (PS. there's a hack that you can easily make shredded chicken in a kitchen aid mixer here). If you are vegetarian and would like to substitute the chicken with another form of protein, feel free to just note that I have not tested any other variations!
Broccoli and Cauliflower- Use both or use just one! I personally like the combination of both broccoli and cauliflower in this buffalo chicken spaghetti squash casserole because you never know what you're going to get with each bite LOL. But if you only have one on hand, just use the entire head instead of ½!
Breadcrumbs- Any bread crumbs will work! I use these but you can use whatever ones you have on hand. The breadcrumbs just help soak up some of the moisture and keeps everything together. If you are gluten free one suggestion would be to make your own breadcrumbs using toasted bread!
Spices- black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder are the spice basis of this recipe! There are additional spices needed for the chicken however since I don't really follow a recipe when baking my chicken I left that part up to you and only provided you with loose instructions!
Franks Hot Sauce- Do not substitute this for any other hot sauce! Franks hot sauce (original or buffalo) has other ingredients added so that it isn't as strong. Majority of other hot sauces are much more concentrated so if you substituted them 1:1 it would be SUPER spicy! You can play around with the amount of Franks you add though. If you like it a little hotter, add more, if you like it less hot, add less!
Cheese- I loveee cheese on anything but especially THIS. I prefer to use a marble or orange cheddar however you can play around with any cheese you love.
Greek Yogurt- I prefer to use plain greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream! It has less fat, more protein and in my opinion tastes the exact same when added to dishes.
I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole recipe don't forget to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram - @nourishedbynic OR leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!
Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash cooked (about 3 cups)
- 2.5 cups shredded chicken breast cooked with a sprinkle of paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
- ½ of a head broccoli chopped into florets
- ½ of a head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs + more for sprinkling
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- 34 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup Franks hot sauce
- ⅓ cup cheddar cheese + more for sprinkling
- plain greek yogurt for topping
- 2 green onions chopped for topping
Instructions
- Bake spaghetti squash however you normally would (see text above recipe for tips on how to do this!). Once spaghetti squash is cooked, use a fork to shred the insides to get "spaghetti".
- While the squash is baking, cook your chicken. Coat the chicken breasts in oil, some paprika, salt, pepper and cumin and bake at 400 °F for about 25 minutes (I never measure the spices, I just add about one large sprinkle of each) . Once fully cooked, use two forks or a kitchen aid mixer to pull the chicken apart. Leave the oven preheated to 400°F as this is what you will bake the casserole at!
- Chop up broccoli and cauliflower into small florets.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except yogurt, green onions and sprinkling cheese + breadcrumbs) and mix well.
- Once combined, pour mixture into a large rectangle baking dish, top with additional cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown on the top.
- To serve, top with plain greek yogurt and chopped green onions and enjoy!
