Spicy Chicken Divan with Spaghetti Squash "Noodles"

If you haven't jumped on the spaghetti-squash-"noodle" bandwagon yet, or didn't even know there was one, it is time for you to hop on up.  While I do love love love pasta made the real way, carbs and all, this version is much more guilt-free.  We love this sauce so much, so its simplicity still surprises me.  Don't leave any on your plate >> use spaghetti squash!

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash (I got the smallest one at the grocery store: 2-3 lbs?)
1 lb chicken breasts
1 lemon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine (or beer if you prefer)
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce (we used Frank's)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Spray an 8x8(ish) baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise.  For me, this is QUITE the battle.  Use a big knife, and be oh so careful!  I did not employ the use of Mr. HP for this, out of pride.  And 5 minutes later, I had 2 halves of squash, and all 10 fingers still in tact.  Scoop out the seeds and discard.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place both halves directly on the oven rack and bake for about 1 hour. 

When they are done, scoop all of the spaghetti-looking flesh into the baking dish.


Put the chicken breasts into a quart-size Ziploc bag.  I have been cutting most of my chicken breasts in half when I marinade them, I think they get more flavor that way, and don't take as long to cook.  Add the zest and juice of the lemon to the bag, the thyme, the crushed red pepper flakes, a few tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate for about 10 minutes (not too much longer or the lemon juice will start to "cook" the chicken).

Add a drizzle of olive oil to large pan and place over high heat on the stove.  Add the chicken breasts, and sear well, about 2-3 minutes on each side (they should look golden brown). 



Turn the pan down to medium and cook a few more minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pan and place on top of the spaghetti squash in the baking dish.

Deglaze the pan with the wine or beer.  Simmer for about 1 minute and scrape up all of the yummy brown bits from the pan.  Add the chicken stock, sour cream, dijon, and hot sauce, and whisk all ingredients together.  Let the sauce simmer and reduce for a few more minutes until it is the desired consistency.  I left our sauce a little runnier than usual so it would coat all of the spaghetti! 
Pour the sauce on top of the chicken, top with some shredded Parmesan if desired, and bake for about 20 minutes to ensure the chicken is cooked through. 

Enjoy!  And I hope you get to the leftovers first, like I did!