Marry Me Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Marry Me Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Casserole is the protein-packed dish you need to try. Spaghetti squash is a low-carb vegetable that provides healthy gut-friendly fiber—great for your microbiome. Pair this with the protein from the chicken and the cheese and you’ve got yourself a dinner sure to keep you full for hours. Studded with sweet, chewy and antioxidant-rich sun-dried tomatoes and topped with fresh basil, this dish is a burst of flavor in every creamy bite. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to choose a spaghetti squash, which cheeses work the best in this recipe and more!

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• When selecting a spaghetti squash, choose one that is bright yellow with smooth, unblemished skin, and avoid any squash with green spots or a broken stem. Plus, the squash should feel heavy for its size when you pick it up.
• To save time, use a rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts available in the prepared foods section of your local grocery store.
• It’s important to cook the spaghetti squash until it is just tender to prevent your casserole from becoming watery.
• We use mozzarella in this recipe, but you can use any melty cheese you prefer, like Monterey Jack, fontina, smoked Gouda, Asiago or Gruyère.

Nutrition Notes

• Spaghetti squash is often used as a low-carb and lower-calorie substitute for pasta. Spaghetti squash adds extra fiber to this dish, as well as potassium—two nutrients that are important to include in your daily diet to maintain a healthy heart. 
• Chicken breast is one of the most versatile lean proteins you can buy. The accolades continue with its nutrition profile—not only does chicken breast contain important nutrients such as vitamin B12, selenium and magnesium, it is also a rich source of choline. Choline is essential for healthy brain development in infants and children, but also important for memory and mood as we age. 
• Sun-dried tomatoes are the chewy, sweet morsels of deliciousness in this dish. They are packed with an antioxidant called lycopene, which is actually higher in cooked and dried tomatoes than in fresh tomatoes. This inflammation-lowering nutrient can help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer.