Fill that open spot on your dinner menu with this hearty, wholesome, cheesy and oh-so-flavorful Buffalo Chicken Bake with Spaghetti Squash and Ranch!
This post was created in collaboration with our friends at Organic Valley.
Feeling stuck in a dinner rut? Give this Buffalo Chicken Bake a try!
It’s all too easy for dinner menus to become monotonous. Spaghetti on Monday, tacos on Tuesday, plain ‘ol chicken and veggies on Wednesday, Thursday is fend for yourself and by Friday you have no idea what to make so you order pizza. AND repeat. I totally get it. Life gets busy and we get stuck in ruts. While there’s nothing wrong with those meals I listed per se, it’s easy to become bored. And food, my friend, should NEVER be boring. Therefore, I challenge you to try one new recipe a week! That’s it. Just one. From there, create a list of recipes you want to continue to have as part of your menu rotation. Mix it up, try new foods and have fun with it!
So how about we start the challenge off with this Buffalo Chicken Bake? This is a recipe I’ve been dreaming up for quite some time. It’s hearty, it’s cheesy, it’s wholesome and it’s loaded with veggies! Low-carb comfort food at its finest.
Loaded with veggies, low in carbs…and they’ll never know!
Any time I can sneak in veggies to a recipe and witness my husband eat AND enjoy it is a winner and must be shared. Little does he know that this Buffalo Chicken Bake is loaded with veggies including bell peppers, onion, kale and spaghetti squash. Now if kale is totally a stretch for the people you’re feeding, feel free to omit it and serve with a side of roasted broccoli instead or in addition if you wish. Heck, add in veggies whenever the opportunity arises! #morevegforthewin
So what’s the secret for sneaking in the veggies? The combination of Organic Valley melted mozzarella cheese, tender chicken chunks, buffalo sauce and creamy ranch in this recipe add a depth of flavor and heartiness that very stealthily masks.all.the.veggies. I’ve also found that cooking onions and bell peppers until they’re very tender with little to no crunch is key when sneaking them in without complaints. Oh, the tricks I’ve learned in the 7 years of being married to a non-veggie-loving hubby.
Make it an easy weeknight meal with these prep-ahead tips.
The great thing about this Buffalo Chicken Bake is that there are several steps you can execute a day or two before it’s on the menu. These steps are as follows: bake the spaghetti squash, cook the chicken and cube or shred it, and pre-chop the veggies. You could even go as far as prepping the entire recipe up to the point of baking.
This recipe also tastes great when reheated and is freezer-friendly, too. I freeze it in an airtight container and separate the servings with a piece of parchment paper for easy removal. Simply reheat in a microwave or in an oven set at 350°F until center is cooked through.
How to make chicken breasts? Our Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe is my go-to. It’s super easy and will take just a few minutes of your time. You can also bake the chicken in a 400°F oven. Just toss the chicken with oil, salt and pepper, and place on baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake the chicken for 22-25 minutes or until the internal temp of the chicken is 165°F. Allow the chicken to rest and cool before cubing.
Made with Organic Valley Cheese, Eggs and Ghee (or Butter).
Organic Valley is my go-to when it comes to purchasing dairy products. Not only are their products made with quality ingredients and absolutely delicious, they also take great pride in how they raise and care for the animals and proudly support and involve the farmers. When I eat Organic Valley‘s products, I feel good know where my food comes from and knowing that it was made with love and passion. Here are a couple of messages from Organic Valley that I appreciate and I know you will, to0:
At Organic Valley, we like to keep things honest and simple. Like dairy produced with no added hormones, antibiotics or toxic pesticides. Produce grown the organic way, with none of the toxins or synthetic fertilizers. And cheese made by farmers and artisans who care about the environment, the animals and you — our customers.
Animal care matters. When we give our cows the best, they give us the best. Organic Valley knows the benefits of happy and healthy animals.
This recipe futures Organic Valley Mozzarella Cheese (block or shredded), Organic Valley Eggs, and Organic Valley Ghee or Butter.
To find Organic Valley products in a store near you use their product locator here. And for more delicious recipes featuring Organic Valley product, go here.
Will you be busting your dinner rut with this Buffalo Chicken Bake? If you do, I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Note: To make this recipe less mild and more family friendly, use a mild buffalo sauce. I used The New Primal Mild Buffalo Sauce, but you could also use our Homemade Buffalo Sauce and omit the cayenne.
Video: how to make buffalo chicken bake
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Buffalo Chicken Bake
Buffalo Chicken Bake with Spaghetti Squash is hearty, cheesy and loaded with veggies. It’s the answer to your weeknight dinner prayers and a delicious way to change up the menu! This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free and low-carb. Recipe sponsored by Organic Valley.
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (2-2½ lbs.)
- 1 Tbsp. Organic Valley Ghee or Butter
- 2–3 cups chopped kale, stems removed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (or ½ green bell pepper + ½ red bell pepper)
- ½ small onion, diced
- ¾ lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed (~2 cups)
- ½ cup ranch dressing + additional for topping (homemade or store-purchased)
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce + additional for topping (homemade or store-purchased)
- 2 Organic Valley Whole Eggs
- 4–6 oz. Organic Valley mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the squash (this step can be done the day before):
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut off ends of spaghetti squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place squash cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes or until squash is soft to touch. Remove from oven, flip squash over and allow to cool. Once cooled, remove spaghetti squash strands with a fork. Place squash in a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or flour sack towel and squeeze to remove some of the excess liquid. Note: not all liquid needs to be removed.
For the Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a pan over medium heat add the ghee or butter. Once hot, add the kale, diced pepper and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until kale is cooked down and peppers and onion are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti squash, chicken, sautéed veggies, ranch, buffalo sauce, eggs, and mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to a greased 9×9 squash dish or casserole dish. Spread out. Drizzle top with a little buffalo sauce, about 1-2 Tbsp.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes uncovered. Top with additional cheese if you wish and bake for another few minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.
- To serve, top with additional buffalo sauce and ranch if desired and sliced green onions or chopped cilantro.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/5 of recipe
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 19 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Carbohydrate: 8 g
- (Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 28 g
Dietary
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I noticed that you are starting to include links to the homemade version of the sauces in your recipes. Thank you! I appreciate that as I live overseas and don’t have access to those pre-made products, but can usually follow the recipe with some modifications.
Hi Esther,
We do our best to link to homemade versions whenever possible and as we add more sauces, dressings and condiments we’ll continue to do so. Thanks for being a reader!
Delicious, the combination of buffalo sauce and ranch dressing is brilliant. The twice baked spaghetti squash is so good and is so much better than pasta! YUM
Thank you! We’re so glad you loved this dish. It’s one of our favorites too.
Do you think you could make this recipe without the cheese? May be increasing the buffalo sauce in the ranch? My husband is Paleo and doesn’t eat any dairy but this sounds so yummy!
You can certainly make this without the cheese. The cheese does help hold everything together so you could add an extra egg to compensate for the binding power of the cheese. You may also like this paleo-friendly Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole which has all of the same flavors but without the dairy.
I’m very excited to try this recipe. Cooking with kale will be my first time. But all ingredients sound delicious together.
We all loved this dish. A new favorite for our family. I also made your recipes for the homemade version of the sauces.
Hi Lucille,
So glad you loved this dish! Thanks so much for taking the time to share 🙂
This was fantastic! My husband told me he was blown away. He was amazed at the flavor. I even snuck in dairy free cheese.
That’s so great to hear!! And good to know dairy-free cheese is an option, too!