As alluded to in my post earlier today, I will now share the recipe that was both my dinner last night AND my breakfast this morning 🙂 Didn’t it look delish? (maybe not but it obviously tasted good enough to entice me to eat it twice in 8 hours)….
A dinner so good, I ate it for breakfast too!
For the past few days, I’ve opened my fridge and seen a giant spaghetti squash glaring back at me. I have been meaning to do something with this ugly yellow vegetable for the longest time, but I’m just too unambitious by the time I walk in the door from a long day at work. Plus – I hate trying to cut foods that have a hard shell. I’m worried the knife will slip and disaster will strike.
Last night, I finally decided to bite the bullet. I figured if I was going to attack this beastly vegetable, I’d make it worthwhile and create a Spaghetti Squash Casserole.
First, I pierced the squash with a knife
You're mine Mr. Squash!
Then I microwaved for 15 minutes, while I threw together the other ingredients for my casserole (and cleaned the ol’ apartment for my weekend guests – more on that later!)
Two secret weapons in this mix: Tyson Grilled Ready Chicken Breast Strips (left over from my Kitchen Sink Salad on Monday) and Kellogg’s Corn Flake Crumbs (I could have eaten these plain and been a happy girl).
Once the squash was cooled, I easily cut it in half and removed the seeds (I think I missed a few…oops!). Then I began shredding away!
Just like pasta! Sort of...
Per, Courtney’s post last night on not wasting food, I tried not to let any squash go unshredded. In the end, this medium-sized squashed yielded about 2.5 cups.
No strand left behind!
Since I didn’t have a casserole dish (clearly, I cook a lot), I improvised with an 8X4 loaf pan, which I sprayed with PAM. I lined the bottom of the loaf pan with the spaghetti squash.
Next, I topped this with a concoction that consisted of 1 cup of mushrooms and 1 cup of chicken, mixed with 2/3 cup of Ragu Pizza sauce.
Next it was time for the cheese! I used about 2/3 cup of Fat Free Cheddar and Mozzarella and topped it out with a lil more sauce.
More cheese please
Finally, it was time for the secret weapon: 1/2 cup of Kellogg’s Corn Flake Crumbs, mixed with a little bit of butter spray (You can use real butter – it was all I had, shocking – I know.) to make it crumbly. Once my tasty topping was fully distributed, I popped my casserole into the oven for 30 minutes and then out came this golden delight…
I served myself a GENEROUS portion…and, as you know, had the rest for breakfast. Hey, at least there were corn flakes!
There was a small amount of moisture at the bottom of the casserole dish, but other than that, I would call this casserole a success! Jamie 1, Spaghetti Squash 0 🙂
The flavors and textures balanced each other perfectly. The Corn Flake Crumbs added a unique sweetness and the chicken made the casserole feel like a hearty dish, without being too heavy. If you’re looking to make this a vegetarian dish, you can substitute firm tofu for the chicken. Also, this dish would be perfect for those on a low-carb diet (I am not – you will soon learn more about my obsession with carbs). When I make this again, I’ll probably add a little more cheese and sauce…but that’s just because I think you can never go wrong with more sauce and cheese!
The Hostess with the Mostest?
I got a nice surprise this week when I found out that one of my closest friends from Nebraska (her name is Jamie too!) and her boyfriend will be staying with me this weekend! I have been preparing ever since I found out, and I even CLEANED my apartment for the first time in…a while. However, I always worry that I don’t have the proper food/drink in my apartment, given my “eclectic” food tastes. I’m off to the store to buy a few things! Here’s to hoping I find some good stuff!
Love it when good friends come to town!
Question:
What do you usually to do prepare for house guests? What are your go-to items, in terms of food and drink?
PS- Jamie (#2) is the biggest supporter of my new blog, so I need to make her trip extra special!
You are so nice 🙂 Can’t wait to see you!!!!!!!!! Just a few more hours till I will be gracing you with my presence.
I am LOVING all your recipes – THANK you. Quick question – what aisle are the Corn Flake crumbs? I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in the grocery store… Thanks!
That is a GREAT question. I actually had a box of Kellogg’s cornflakes in my hand (I really wanted a cornflake crumble!) when I stumbled upon these little gems in the bread aisle with the rest of the bread crumbs. Let me know how the recipe turns out 🙂
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This recipe is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing – it’s definitely going on my rotation of favorite meals to cook. PS: My fiance is Italian and LOVES pasta – and he even said it tasted like the real thing.
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