We grow massive spaghetti squash in our garden, and every year we end up with way more than we know what to do with. My son's grown up eating it, so it's become a staple for him, one of the rare veggies I don't have to beg him to eat or hide in a sauce. It's also quick to cook, which makes weeknight dinners really easy. I usually swap it in for pasta or any other carb.

Here are 22 tried-and-tested gems to help spice up your weeknights and get spaghetti squash into your family's bellies.

1) One-Pan Baked Chicken with Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Marinara

I love a one-pan meal, and so this one's become a go-to on busy nights because it's so quick and easy. I roast the spaghetti squash cut-side down first, so it caramelizes, but instead of going watery, I shred it right in the skin. This just saves so much time and the dish that I would have to clean up.

And then for the marinara, I keep it simple. Just crushed tomatoes, a good glug of olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of sugar to cut that acidity. And then a handful of torn basil from my garden at the end so it stays bright instead of cooking flat.

I like making my own sauces because I know there are no preservatives or added sugars. Then also sometimes I'll add a spoonful of tomato paste if I want it a little bit richer, or a splash of the pasta water equivalent, squash liquid, to loosen it. You can jazz this up by adding a splash of cream to make it a little richer, but I tend to leave it as is.

And then the chicken goes in the same pan the squash was roasted in, so it picks up all that flavor.

2) Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken over Spaghetti Squash

For this one, the butter and garlic need to be gently cooked until soft, not brown, or it turns into a special cream. A good handful of fresh garlic, sautéed and off the heat so it doesn't split and crack, and a crack of black pepper.

The trick was spaghetti squash, which I found out, and the cream sauce is just squash water. Everything done, I roasted a bit longer than usual so it's drier and slightly browned before adding the sauce to draw out any extra moisture.

3) Honey Mustard Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Skillet

This is one of those recipes that comes together perfectly. Honey and mustard are both things I usually have on hand, so it became a use-what's-in-the-fridge dinner before it became a regular one. The sauce is just honey, whole grain mustard, a splash of vinegar to balance the sweetness, and a bit of garlic.

Simmer in the same skillet as the chicken so it reduces and picks up all that stickiness. And then I toss the roasted squash strands in at the end, so they soak up any leftover sauce in the pan instead of serving it on the side.

4) Chicken Pesto Tossed with Spaghetti Squash

I make this one when I've got tons of fresh basil in my garden that needs picking, and I do it with my son, which makes it fun. We make the basil pesto from scratch. I don't use pine nuts because they're really expensive, so I use almonds instead, along with olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic, and pecorino romano.

Then I mix the pesto with the squash while it's still warm and off the heat. That warmth in the squash loosens the pesto just enough without cooking it further and dulling its color, because you don't want the pesto to oxidize and turn black. I shred the chicken instead of slicing it so everybody gets some with this. Then my husband goes and adds the biggest dollop of mayo, which I think is really gross, but he earns it.

5) Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake

I typically make this bake when all my husband's friends are coming around. I'll make a pasta version and a squash bake version, and it's quite funny how the squash version gets finished before the pasta version. All these big men eating spaghetti squash from my garden.

I shred the chicken in buffalo sauce, usually whatever hot sauce you've got in the fridge, and melted butter, nothing fancy. Then I layer it over the squash strands with a good amount of cheese- mozzarella, mature cheddar, anything really, whatever looks better. And then I bake it until it's bubbly.

Honestly, I find squash works better than pasta; it doesn't get soggy the way noodles can, and the strands crisp up a little at the edges.

Then I make a big green salad and a blue cheese dressing to go with it, and everything comes together. And they think that I'm amazing for making the meal that, in reality, really wasn't that hard to do.

6) Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken and Spaghetti Squash

A firm favorite and a regular meal we make during the week is lemon-herb roasted chicken and speedy squash, because I always have chicken pieces in the freezer and have these masses of squash from the garden to get through.

Everything roasts on one sheet pan, so the chicken and the squash both go in at the same time. Lemon juice in the marinade, plus a few slices tucked in around the chicken.

For the herbs, I use whatever's still alive in the garden that week, usually thyme and rosemary, sometimes oregano if it's still looking good. Nothing dried. But again, it doesn't really matter if you don't have the stuff growing in the garden.

It's a light dinner, and I don't feel too heavy afterward, especially if I've had something huge for lunch.

7) Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken on Spaghetti Squash

This was a mistake dinner that actually came together pretty nicely, and I have made it quite a few times since. I pulled some of the barbecue pulled chicken from the freezer; I'd made a huge batch quite a while ago.

This was also, by the way, because there was no food in the house; we'd just got back from being away for quite a while. And then the only thing I could think to put it with was a spaghetti squash. It literally tastes like it's meant to be.

8) Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash Casserole

We had a roast chicken for lunch yesterday, and there was quite a lot left over, so I pulled off the meat and set it aside, made stock from the carcass, and had plenty of leftover chicken to use. So I decided to turn it into a casserole, and of course, spaghetti squash casserole.

It came out really nice, with mushrooms and some peppers. I think what really makes this great is that I'm using garlic powder, and then if you've got that packet stuff, packet mushroom soup, that'll do really well here. This is real comfort food for me, and it doesn't have a huge number of calories.

9) Thai Peanut Chicken with Spaghetti Squash

My son and my husband love this one; my son can have peanut butter on anything. It's really easy to make a peanut sauce. It's just peanut butter, soy sauce, a splash of lime juice, and a little honey. I like to add some more water to loosen it a bit, and that is it.

You don't want it to be gluey. And then I just toss the squash strands in the sauce while they're still warm, and it actually absorbs it instead of just wearing it on top. Then top with shredded chicken or grilled chicken, whatever you've decided. And then lots of cilantro leaves and spring onions.

10) Chicken Piccata Served over Spaghetti Squash

I know you can either hate or love capers. I love them.

This one is really simple: the flavors just come together. Here's what happens: better white wine, lemon cubes, then you just reduce it right in the pan the chicken cooked in.

I go a little bit heavier on the lime than most recipes call for. It needs to cut through the richness or just taste buttery instead of bratz.

Absolutely delicious.

11) Mediterranean Chicken, Olives, Feta and Spaghetti Squash

I watched a documentary about going back to the Mediterranean diet, all the usual stuff about eating fish, vegetables, people living well into their 90s, and so this is where this dish was inspired from. Chicken gets pan-seared, then simmered with the others, feta, thyme, and a good amount of olive oil until everything's infused with the flavors, then served together.

The feta half-melts into the sauce, rather than staying in little cubes. And then add the butternut squash, spaghetti squash strands, and a bit of the juice the tomatoes release.

12) Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Drizzle on Spaghetti Squash

We went out for dinner tonight, and my husband ordered a caprese pizza, and I couldn't stop thinking about that flavor. I turned it into something I could actually make a habit out of. This is a low-carb, high-protein version of that craving. I cook my chicken breast until it's just about done, then top it with fresh mozzarella, or any mozzarella that you've got to find, and then I put it back in the air fryer for about 2 minutes. Then I'll go and pick some cherry tomatoes and basil from my garden and add that in the air fryer as well, basil only once it's on the plate.

And then I make the balsamic reduction myself: just balsamic vinegar with a little sugar, and you simmer it down until it gets syrupy and coats the spoon. So much easier to make, and better than buying the bottled stuff, which tends to be too sweet and has a whole bunch of added ingredients you don't know about.

And then just drizzle it over the squash strands. It's basically all the best parts of that pizza without the crust, and you don't have to skip it.

13) One-Sheet Ranch Chicken and Spaghetti Squash

I think this is the laziest one in a lineup, and I mean that as a compliment. Everything goes on one sheet pan, gets coated in ranch seasoning, and roasts together with Betty, with minimal cleanup afterward. Chicken, squash, sometimes some potatoes or whatever vegetables need using up, a generous amount of ranch seasoning, and then in the oven it goes.

In fact, I think this is what my son will have for dinner tonight because I'm feeling pretty tired and don't feel like thinking about dinner or cleaning up either.

14) Chicken Tikka Masala with Spaghetti Squash

Definitely a firm favorite of mine is this chicken tikka masala. That's mainly because it's pretty easy to make the sauce: just tomatoes, green garam masala, and then a good amount of grated ginger and garlic. And then you just simmer that down until it's thick. If you don't want to use cream, I use coconut cream, which tastes just as good and is less fattening.

“The dinner that makes itself while I make everything else work.”

15) Chicken Sausage and Spaghetti Squash Ziti-Style Bake

I made this dish because I wanted a baked ziti situation, but with the festival's chicken sausage, marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and then I layered it all up with squash strands the way you do with noodles. Then bake it until the top turns golden and the edges are a little crispy.

And I go easy on the ricotta; I found that too much makes the whole thing wet instead of holding together in a scoop. The spaghetti squash does pretty well here; it's much sturdier than you think under all that cheese.

16) Teriyaki Chicken Bowl with Spaghetti Squash

I think teriyaki is one flavor that never gets a complaint, and I make the sauce from scratch, so it's just some soy sauce, a bit of brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and then I add some cornstarch slurry to thicken it so it clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Cornstarch is important when making it from scratch.

And then I put it together like a poke bowl. Squash on the bottom, chicken on top, sauce drizzled over, then whatever toppings I've got on hand in the fridge, like some toasted sesame seeds, and from the pantry, some spring onions and maybe some other carrot or edamame beans if I've got them in the freezer.

I think this one's fast enough for a weeknight but still gets treated like a bit of an event because of how it's served. It looks like I put a lot of effort into it, but it really only took me 20 minutes to make.

17) Chicken, Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This is a delicious stuffed spaghetti squash bake that I do for myself. I cut my squash in half, and then I roast it until it's done. Then, with a fork, I just create those spaghetti flakes from the inside, add some butter and season them, and then I just pan-sear the chicken, some fresh or creamed spinach (which I always have on hand because I love creamed spinach), and some ricotta.

You can finish it all with some parmesan, then just grill it. It's so easy, and it's so delicious, and I can't manage to finish the whole lot, so I'll leave half of one for my lunch the next day.

18) Cajun-Spiced Chicken over Garlic Butter Spaghetti Squash

When I make this one, I go a bit crazy on the Cajun seasoning. I want to get that real crust instead of just steaming in the pan. Everyone coughs and has to go outside when I'm making this one because the whole house gets all smoky, but it's totally worth it.

And then nothing is more delicious than garlic butter with spaghetti squash. I could let you just have that as is. There's something about this combination that just works.

19) Chicken, Mushroom and Marsala Sauce on Spaghetti Squash

Marsala chicken is traditionally served over pasta or mashed potatoes, so this version is much lighter, but it doesn't lose all that deliciousness that a Marsala has.

Mushrooms go into pretty much everything in my kitchen, so this one didn't take much convincing to make.

The Marsala wine itself has a funny backstory: my dad bought a bottle years ago, and it's basically been living in our cupboard ever since, only ever coming out for this chicken and mushrooms cooked with it.

And then again, that amazing spaghetti squash keeps things from feeling too heavy, which is really the whole point of doing this instead of the traditional version.

20) Greek Lemon-Oregano Chicken with Spaghetti Squash

This one comes together almost entirely from my own garden: the squash, the LeMons, the oregano, so it's about as organic as dinner gets around here.

Chicken marinates in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic- not for too long, though. And then add a generous amount of oregano before it's seared or roasted until it's got a little color.

You don't have to use fresh oregano here if you don't have it; that's totally fine. It's simple, but the freshness of everything makes it taste like more than it actually did.

21) Chicken Enchilada-Spiced Spaghetti Squash Boats

For this, I make the enchilada sauce from scratch when I've got the time. When I don't, store-bought works just fine. I roast the squash halfway, fill it with just shredded chicken and the enchilada sauce, then finish it off with some cheese before putting it back in the oven until it's bubbling. I always feel that the squash boats hold up surprisingly well; they don't collapse away, as you'd expect them to.

22) Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs with Roasted Spaghetti Squash

This is an easy one-pan meal that I make with thighs. They hold up better than breast meat under the glaze, and they don't dry out if done a few minutes late.

The glaze is simple: just maple, Dijon mustard, and a splash of apple cider vinegar to keep the sweetness from taking over.

And then I put the squash alongside the chicken in the same pan so it picks up all that delicious glaze.

I think even the pickiest of eaters would eat this.

The Whole Point

Between the garden overproducing it every year and the kid who'll actually eat it without a fight, spaghetti squash ends up keeping our kitchen stocked more than almost anything else. Doesn't hurt that it's a solid low-carb stand-in, either. Same comfort, less of the crash after. Swap the sauce, swap the seasoning, and it never really gets old. I hope your family finds a favorite in here. All the best out there.

, Sara

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