Spaghetti Squash Bowls

Talk about endless possibilities and EASY!!!!!  This is always a good one because really anything works!  I can play the "clean out the fridge game" as long as I have a spaghetti squash on hand....and it always turns out yummy!

Most nights, we feed the kids early so we can sit with them and talk about their day, and then we eat together.  Sometimes it's hard to get much one on one time when there are 4 little people fighting for the floor! Lol...but this meal is nice because I can roast the squash while we do the bedtime routine for the kids and it's done and ready to rock when I come back down!

I roast up a couple pounds of brussels sprouts every Sunday for the week...just keep them around to add to things for a little power packed green thing!  They work perfect in this but you could also use wilted spinach, broccoli or peas!!!  Just trim them, cut them in half, toss onto a large pan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, then roast at 400 for about 25 minutes!

Really....anything that works with pasta, works with this!  Honestly, there are a million combinations! It's fabulous with a good old meat sauce or just add fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, feta and grilled chicken slices!  Even sautéed peppers and salami!  We like it with sliced sautéed Caprese Chicken Sausgae, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes and a few pieces of fresh mozzarella! Lemon, dill, feta and grilled shrimp! Quartered artichoke hearts & diced tomatoes...ANYTHING!!!! But here's the basic!

What you need for this Chicken Carbonara with Brussels Sprouts Version...

1 spaghetti squash

1 cup roasted brussels sprouts

1 cup grilled chicken, sliced (I grill a bunch of chicken on Sunday so it's on hand to cut time)

2-3 pieces of bacon, rough crumbled

1/3 cup smoked gouda, chopped into cubes

1/4 cup half and half

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 400F.  Sliced the spaghetti squash in half, be careful!!!  Scoop out all the seeds with a spoon, discard.  Place the 2 halves face down in a lightly greased baking dish.  Roast for about 35 minutes, or until the meat is easily scooped out with a fork.  Clean all the meat out into a large bowl, reserving the 2 empty shells.  Make sure not to poke through the shells!  Add all remaining ingredients to the meat and mix well.  Carefully divid the filling in half between the two shells and return to the oven at 350F.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until warmed through!  Enjoy!

*I did sprinkle these with a teeny bit of parmesan!