Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole

By VerneJ

Ingredients

• 4 slices center-cut bacon
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups reduced-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 11 ⁄2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 ⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large spaghetti squash, roasted and pulp scraped and reserved
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 4 cups cubed cornbread, divided
• Garnish: chopped green onion

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from tasteofthesouthmagazine.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon. Let cool; crumble. Reserve 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat in pan.

3. Add flour and garlic to pan. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk,
1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cumin. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with green chiles, 1 cup Cheddar, and Parmesan until melted. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in spaghetti squash, chicken, cherry tomatoes, green onion, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt until combined. Gently stir in 3 cups cornbread. Pour mixture into prepared dish; sprinkle with remaining
1 cup cornbread, remaining 1⁄2 cup Cheddar, and bacon.

5. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onion, if desired.

How to Roast Spaghetti Squash: Using a sharp knife, carefully cut squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out interior pulp and seeds. Drizzle squash halves with
1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut
side down. Bake at 400° until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes. Using a fork, scrape squash strands into a medium bowl. Set aside.