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We are trying to eat a little healthier here at the Ranch. Cutting out a few carbs where we can is what it’s all about.
We are so lucky to have so many choices in our menu planning and I know we all plan to make the right choices with healthy dishes.
But have you noticed that sometimes we are good girls and boys and do choose those healthy vitamin-rich foods and other times we choose just for the sheer flavor and not so much for the nutritional value? But that’s who we are as humans, sometimes we make good choices and other times we just choose good flavors.
And then there are other times when we are really lucky and cover both bases and find a dish that is loaded with nutrition but totally satisfies that inner craze that needs flavorful delicious food.
This low carb chicken parmesan is one of those choices that cover both bases, it has a deliciously rich flavor and is also a healthy alternative to heavy pasta. It is one of those dishes that will rock your taste buds with all the deliciousness of chicken parmesan but is lower in fat and lower in carbs than a pasta dish.
There are several reasons to make low carb chicken parmesan such as:
1. 1 cup serving of spaghetti squash has 42 calories while 1 cup of cooked pasta has 221 calories
2. Spaghetti Squash has 7 grams of carbs but pasta has 31 grams of carbs
3. It is absolutely delicious
4. Fiber content is about the same as pasta
5. Contains folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and beta-carotene
6. Have I said it’s totally delicious yet?
How to cook spaghetti squash is very easy, the hardest part is cutting it in half so be sure and get your sharpest knife. Then bush with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste and bake in the oven, cut side down.
It is such a fun and unusual little veggie because when it is cooked, the flesh can be raked with a fork and it produces strings that are very similar to spaghetti thus the name, spaghetti squash.
This Spaghetti Squash stuffed with Chicken Parmesan is served in the squash shell which makes such an awesome and fun presentation. It is totally delicious and is a healthier version of the normal calorie loaded pasta dish, so go ahead and enjoy all that rich flavor without stacking on the calories by making this your good choice today.
A low carb dish of Italian spaghetti squash with chicken parmesan
- 1 Spaghetti squash
- olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts skinless boneless
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 24 oz jar pasta sauce
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- fresh basil optional
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Heat oven to 375 degrees F
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With a very sharp knife, slice the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out seeds and membranes
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Brush both halves of the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste, place cut sides down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes
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Meanwhile slice chicken breasts into strips, salt, and pepper
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Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls
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Dip each chicken strip into the flour, dip into the eggs and then roll in the breadcrumbs and place on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray
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When squash is done, remove from oven and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes
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Place chicken strips in a 425 degree F preheated oven for 15 minutes turning the strips once about halfway through
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Meanwhile, use a fork to shred the meat of the spaghetti squash being careful not to puncture the shell
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10. Place shredded squash in a large bowl and add enough spaghetti sauce to coat all the shredded squash, mix gently
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11. Replace squash into the shell and top with the chicken strips, add the rest of the sauce and top with mozzarella cheese
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12. Place the stuffed squash on the cooking sheet and bake in a 375-degree oven just long enough for the cheese to melt about 5 minutes
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13. Serve in the shell topped with chopped fresh basil
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