CHICKEN SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE is a low carb riff on the classic chicken spaghetti! Made with shredded chicken, tomatoes & chiles, and a creamy cheese sauce all mixed up with spaghetti squash.
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This time of year is when I am all about the mighty casserole.
I love mixing a bunch of things together and popping them in the oven to bake into a hot, cheesy, bubbly mess of tasty goodness.
It was a struggle to figure out casseroles when we first went low carb, since we often used pasta or rice as the base for our casseroles.
Now we’ve figured out which veggies work best and how to use them!
I took our family’s old favorite, chicken spaghetti, and swapped out the pasta for spaghetti squash and made a keto cheese sauce.
The spaghetti squash is a bit sweet and earthy, which pairs really well with the spice of the tomatoes and green chiles.
How to:
This recipe is a bit involved, as you’ll need to cook the spaghetti squash, then the cheese sauce, then combine everything, and then bake.
That said, it’s all easy to do – just takes a bit of time!
Spaghetti Squash:
Start by cooking your spaghetti squash.
We like to cook ours in the Instant Pot. Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash cooks quickly and easily.
You can also halve your squash, scoop out the seeds, and roast for around an hour at 400 degrees.
Scrape the squash out into long strands and place in a large mixing bowl.
I believe you can also buy frozen bags of spaghetti squash strands that you steam in the bag. Those would also work well here, if you want to cut down on prep.
Cheese Sauce:
We’re using my keto cheese sauce in this recipe. It’s thick, creamy, and just perfect!
You’ll just add cream, cream cheese, and butter to a small pot and heat until smooth and creamy.
Stir in cheddar and spice until melted.
This is great over steamed veggies too!
Assembly:
Add shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is great here), a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles, garlic, and onion powder to the bowl with the spaghetti squash.
Pour the cheese sauce over the top and give it a good stir.
Transfer this to a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, just to get everything hot and bubbly.
We sprinkle with chives or green onions just before serving.
Serving Suggestions:
This recipe is really a meal by itself, but we always serve casseroles with either a pile of roasted vegetables or a simple green salad.
These roasted green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are a great option.
If you go the salad route, try it with my keto ranch dressing. It’s the best ranch ever!
More keto casseroles:
- Keto Broccoli Casserole
- Keto Cheeseburger Casserole
- Keto Breakfast Casserole
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
- Keto Lasagna
Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake
Ingredients
- 1 whole spaghetti squash about 3 pounds
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 6 ounces cheddar shredded
- 3 ounces mozzarella shredded
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 10.5 ounces Ro*Tel drained
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Chives for garnish
Instructions
To cook the spaghetti squash:
- To cook in the oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Discard the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and place face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or until squash is fork tender.
- Once squash is cooked, shred the squash into long spaghetti-like strands by using a fork to scrape the squash widthwise.
- Place the strands of squash in a large mixing bowl.
To make the cheese sauce:
- Add the heavy cream, cream cheese, and butter to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the butter and cream cheese have melted, stirring often.
- Whisk in the ground mustard and pepper.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheddar and mozzarella until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
To assemble:
- Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Add the chicken, Ro*Tel, garlic, and onion powder to the mixing bowl with the spaghetti squash.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the top and stir gently to coat.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with chives before serving.
Jessica says
I wonder if I could use ground beef instead of chicken?
Karly Campbell says
Sure!
Haley Goldman says
This is a fantastic recipe. I’ve used it with spaghetti squash, regular spaghetti, and last night I used the cheese sauce in homemade hamburger helper. My kids loved it! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
Karly Campbell says
Thanks so much, Haley!
Sharon says
What makes the carbs 10g in this recipe? Is it the tomatoes?
Karly Campbell says
Both the spaghetti squash and tomatoes have carbs. The cheese, cream, and spices do as well, though those are small amounts. It all adds up though.
Jessica says
I’ve been perusing your site for a few months now, trying a handful of recipes. I just tried this one last night and it was a huge hit in my house! I cooked up some chopped bacon and put it out on with the chives to be used as a topping, and it was DEVINE. Thanks for another great, low-carb option!
Karly Campbell says
Oh, I bet the bacon was a great addition! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. ๐
Andrea L Behrend says
Does this have a wet slimy texture to it? I have never has spaghetti squash because I thought it would be wet/slimy but I now have to watch my carbs and I am missing spaghetti
Karly Campbell says
It’s not slimy at all.
Beth G says
Spaghetti squash is not slimy at all. If you roast it vs steaming it, with a sprinkle of onion, garlic, salt & pepper it comes out sooooooo good!! I buy it in bulk at the store and cook, then freeze for later when it’s not in season!!
Carol Stephens says
When you put it that way, youโre probably right. Iโll have to think about it. Thanks!
Carol Stephens says
This looks wonderful! I canโt wait to try it, but I have to keep my dairy free granddaughter in mind when she is with me. Do you think this would work with a non-dairy keto gravy?
Karly Campbell says
Hi Carol! I think you could probably put anything you like over the spaghetti squash and bake it, if you think the flavors will work well together. Gravy + Rotel + chicken doesn’t sound like a great flavor combo to me, but if it sounds good to you, go for it. ๐
Jim V Butterfield says
We love spaghetti squash, well she does, i just eat it. Thanks for the twist. Always looking for new ways to spice up Spaghetti squash.
Walter M says
Ok, I had a spaghetti squash that was getting a little long in the tooth…and it was still good! I did use the instant pot and followed your recipe except for 1 thing. I used Serrano peppers in the dish along with the ROTEL. I don’t see a way to leave a photo Looking forward to having it tonight! Thanks!
Karly Campbell says
Hope you loved it, Walter! We’re working on a way for readers to add photos to the next site design in a few months. ๐
Lori says
Opened email and SO glad to see this since I’ve been craving it! (Even bought the spaghetti squash during grocery shopping this weekend.) Now I can have it guilt-free. ๐
Karly Campbell says
Yay! Hope you love it!
Connie Sue Larson says
I know I will…what’s not to love with these fabulous ingredients?
Connie Sue Larson says
I love spaghetti shahs and this sounds delicious. Will make it very soon.
Karly Campbell says
Hope you love it!