Sunday, July 19, 2015

Food for the mind, food for the soul, and/or food for comfort!

It's been fun.  Cath searches for recipes low in carbs.  Bill and Cath prepare them.  Some are what they sound like--unappealing and frankly not redoable.  Some (with a tweak here and there), turn out amazing.  Such is the case of the chicken and spaghetti squash served up last night.  Next time I will NOT skimp on the jalapeno!  I was a bit reticent since we were preparing it for company.  Even though the recipe suggests making a double batch of sauce, I won't.  There was plenty.  Find below the tweaked recipe, and give it a shot!  Let me know your thoughts, and as always, remember you are loved!

Chicken and spaghetti squash casserole.

Begin with 1 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeded.  Place cut side down in a casserole with 1/2 cup of water.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Remove from shell by dragging a fork back and forth to form the spaghetti-like strands of squash.  Place in bowl and set aside.

Partially thaw 4 chicken breasts.  Salt and pepper to taste. Chop into pieces. Saute with 1 Tsp. garlic in bacon grease until completely cooked.  Remove from pan and save liquid that remains.

Combine chicken, squash, 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 can chopped green chili's, 1/2 cup chopped onion, and tsp garlic powder.  Set aside.

Prepare sauce--combine 1 8-oz. cram cheese, softened (microwave for 30-40 seconds), 1 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup reserved chicken-cooking liquid (add water if needed), 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, (if not wearing gloves, PLEASE remember to wash your hands thoroughly before going to the bathroom--guys, this means  you!) 1 Tbs. crushed garlic, salt and white pepper to taste, and 1 tsp. Adabo sauce (from that can of chipotle peppers you bought for some other purpose!)  Mix all together and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Since your oven is already set to 350 (you cooked the squash, right?) add half the sauce (or a little more!) to the chicken mixture and turn into a greased casserole.  Place 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top of that and gently spread the remainder of the sauce over the cheese.  Bake at 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.  You may want to finish this off under the broiler to add a little color to the top!

Now here's the extra special treat.  Serve this with Parmesan crusted buns.  Combine 1 cup mayo with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  Cut buns in half, and spread mayo mixture on cut side.  Grill until golden brown and serve warm.  The perfect accompaniment to any casserole.

If you have read this far, you probably might try this!  I highly recommend it!  Your mind will thank you, your soul will elate, and you will feel the comfort of knowing you did it!

No comments:

Post a Comment