My Other Favorite Gourd.

Oh my gosh.  How has it been 3 months since I have been on here?!?!  Yikes!  That is what a crazy start to the school year will do to you!  Luckily, we have moved into second quarter....and I have a semi-grasp on my crazy life.  That being said, fall is in full effect.....and my obsession with everything fall has begun.  We have successfully eaten chili almost every night for the past 3 weeks, had overnight pumpkin oats each morning, and doused our house in pumpkin spice fragrances.  While of course I love everything pumpkin....I can't neglect my other favorite gourd......the spaghetti squash.  

First of all, they are just as cute as a pumpkin....so leaving them lay around the house until you are ready to cook makes for perfect fall decor.  You can dress them up however you like....but my newest obsession is buffalo bowl style.  

Part 1 Directions:
The hardest part of cooking these suckers is cutting them open. For this recipe, because you will use the shell as the bowl for the final product, I cut them straight down the middle.  Spray a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  At this point I gently scrape out and get rid of the seeds.  Once the squash has cooled, you will scoop out the insides....which will come out looking just like little noodles, and set them aside.  

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​Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2/3 cup nonfat, plain greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa OR cooked and shredded chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheese + enough to sprinkle for topping
• 1/3-1 cup hot sauce (I use Frank's....and the amount will totally depend on how spicy you like your food)
• Sprinkle red pepper flakes

Part 2 Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, mix yogurt, quinoa or chicken, cheese, hot sauce and red pepper flakes with the shredded spaghetti squash (from part 1).
2. Fill the spaghetti squash shells with this mixture.
3. Sprinkle the tops of each "bowl" with shredded cheese.
4. Bake bowls at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes (until center of the mixture feels warm and cheese on top bubbles).
5. Enjoy!

**Bonus:  You eat right from the squash shell....so clean up is minimal!

A.  I like how easy this meal is to prepare.
B.  I like how it can be done in two parts....you can cook the squash (part 1), and come back to it much later....or the next day....or the day after that.
C.  You use the squash as the bowl....which is just cool.
D.  It is the perfect football-watching meal.
 
XoXo, 
NaturallyNati