Creamy Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash
Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash isan easy low carb pasta dish packed with flavor from a creamy sauce and Cajun spiced chicken. Jump to Recipe
This low carb Creamy Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash has under 400 calories per serving and tastes every bit as indulgent as the restaurant version. Seriously, this spaghetti squash recipe won't leaving anyone asking for pasta.
Cajun chicken pasta - it seriously has me drooling any time I see it on a menu. But with over 1500 calories at most restaurants, it's something that I have to reserve for rare indulgences and that's with only eating half.
Luckily it's easy to make a lower calorie and lower carb version at home using spaghetti squash, lots of veggies, lean chicken breast, and reduced fat cream cheese. Depending on how spicy you like things, you can add extra Cajun spice to pack in more flavor or add a couple of tablespoons of chipotles in adobo sauce. You can also use zucchini noodles, summer squash noodles, or any other veggie noodle since not everyone is a huge fan of spaghetti squash.
What goes in Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash?
You might be asking yourself what goes into cajun chicken spaghetti squash – if you guess chicken and spaghetti squash then you are off to a good start. But that isn’t everything in this rich and creamy meal.
To make this dish a little more complete you will need a red pepper, a green pepper, onion, garlic, and fire roasted diced tomatoes. Along with that you have reduced fat cream cheese to make it creamy and Cajun seasoning to make it Cajun.
You’ll also need a little bit of olive oil to cook the chicken in. Then it is all topped with some finely chopped scallions.
How to Shop for Spaghetti Squash
If you’ve never bought spaghetti squash before then you might not know what to look for when you go shopping to get one. That was certainly the case for me the first time I bought one.
To help you decide, here are the things you should look out for:
- Firmness: Spaghetti squash should be firm and not give when you press on it
- Skin: Free from spots, cracks, and soft spots
- Stems: Avoid any that are missing their stem. Stem should be firm, dry, and rounded.
- Weight: Your spaghetti Squash should feel heavy for its size.
How to Store Spaghetti Squash
If you haven’t cut into your spaghetti squash, then you can store it in a cupboard for up to 3 months before it needs to be used! In fact, putting it in the fridge will actually cut that time down to just a couple of weeks. This means that if in case you have a change in plans, you should put your spaghetti squash in a cool dry place.
If you’ve already cut into it then store it in an airtight container, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. At this point, you only have a couple of days before it needs to be used.
What Makes This Healthy?
- Spaghetti Squash: Your spaghetti squash may not be much of a looker, but what’s inside more than makes up for it. Spaghetti squash is packed full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that your body needs. Thanks to its naturally high fiber content, this squash is great for aiding weight loss and digestive health. Spaghetti squash is also a fantastic way to get vitamin C which you typically only associate with citrus fruits. It has an amazing 9% of your recommended daily amount of vitamin C as well as 8% of both vitamin B6 and Manganese.
- Chicken: You may not typically associate meat with being good for you, but the truth is chicken is actually a great source of protein, niacin, selenium, and phosphorus. This means it is good for helping you build and maintain your muscles (not just for body builders!), helps maintain your immune system, thyroid health, and brain activity.
- Bell Peppers: The red and green peppers used in this recipe are bell peppers, which are quite surprisingly good sources of fiber. However, you’d have to eat quite a lot of them to really see any benefit. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin C, which is what they are best known for. In addition to C, bell peppers are good sources of vitamin B6, K1, A and E, which are all good for your blood, including the formation of red blood cells.
These are just the main ingredients of the dish, and there are a lot more health benefits to be had from the red onion to olive oil. Even cream cheese has some health benefits in moderation.
Making it Vegetarian/Vegan
In this recipe, there are two items that make it not vegan-friendly – the chicken and the cream cheese that makes it so creamy. Luckily for us, these two things are extremely easy to replace! You can simply swap out the chicken for tofu, chickpeas, or another faux chicken product. The cream cheese, well, you can buy vegan cream cheese in just about any store or you can make it yourself at home! Just a few substitutions and this meal is ready for your meatless Monday or any other day of the week you choose to forgo meat and dairy products.
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Creamy Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash
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Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 U spaghetti squash
- 1.33 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning, divided (or more)
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 U red pepper, sliced thin
- 1 U green pepper, sliced thin
- 1/2 U red onion, sliced thin
- 2 U cloves garlic, minced (or more)
- 14 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes (not drained)
- 1/2 cup reduced fat cream cheese
- 1/4 cup scallions
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Instructions
(Hide Photos)Prepare the spaghetti squash in the oven or microwave. To roast, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Spray with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet covered in foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes until tender. To microwave pierce the squash all over with a knife or fork. Cook each squash whole for 10-12 minutes until tender. Carefully cut in half and remove seeds. Scrape the squash away from the skin using a fork.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.
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