I love the texture that spaghetti squash brings to a dish. It’s different and will really add some variety to your elimination diet. This Spaghetti Squash and Garlic Chicken Skillet is appropriate for phase one of your diet plan and is a filling meal any night of the week.

I use my large cast iron skillet for this but you can use any large skillet you have. I like the cast iron because when you cook the chicken in the pan before the veggies it leaves that flavorful brown sear behind that will add a bit of extra oomph to the broth. It’s not necessary but I think it does have that edge over non-stick.

This spaghetti squash and garlic chicken skillet dish uses white wine vinegar instead of fresh lemon juice in order to keep it citrus free. You’ll want to take the edge off of the vinegar flavor by simmering it down. It shouldn’t take longer than a couple of minutes for the two tablespoons used here.

What does spaghetti squash taste like?

Spaghetti squash has a very mild flavor but I think it tastes slightly buttery. The real draw of this gourd is it’s texture. You don’t cube it like you would any other squash, it comes off in strands and many gluten free dieters use it instead of pasta.

Spaghetti squash can be a low carb alternative for many dietary needs and it’s a great addition to meal plans every fall when they come in season.

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get a big one!

need a good knife to cut through a big squash!

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 yellow onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 bonelss skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 cups kale, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

preheat oven to 400 F
cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and pulp
rub the inside of spaghetti squash with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper
place oiled side down on a foil lined baking tray, stab a few holes in the rind to vent steam
bake for 30-45 minutes, until fork tender
set aside to cool
while spaghetti squash is baking heat a large skillet over medium low heat, drizzle with olive oil
place chicken breasts in hot pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper
cook for 7-9 minutes, flip and cover, cook for 10 more minutes until internal temp reaches 165 F
set chicken aside to rest, add more oil to pan if needed
add the onion and mushroom slices and saute for about 10-15 minutes, until very tender
add the garlic and thyme and saute 2 more minutes
add the chicken broth and white wine vinegar, reduce heat to simmer
while things are sauteeing, fork shred the spaghetti squash into strands and slice the chicken breasts
add the kale to the pan and simmer for another 3-5 minutes until tender
toss with spaghetti squash and cooked chicken
serve warm