Recipe for Chicken Noodle Casserole with Butternut Squash

This recipe is great for using leftovers and getting a creamy result without much fat. Leftovers that you can use include chicken, spaghetti, broccoli, and butternut squash. If you do not have leftovers, it is easy to cook what you need before assembling the ingredients.

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Pureed butternut squash adds creaminess without many calories. And it is lower in fat and higher in nutrients than a standard ingredient such as cream of mushroom soup. 

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This recipe is versatile. You can use tuna, cooked fish or turkey, or tofu instead of chicken, and any type of cooked vegetable is fine instead of broccoli. Any whole-wheat pasta, such as rotini or penne, works, or you can use a different whole grain if you already have one cooked. Brown rice and quinoa are both gluten-free choices. You can also cut carbs by using cooked cauliflower or spiralized zucchini or carrot noodles.

Recipe for Chicken Noodle Casserole with Butternut Squash

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 cup of low-sodium broth
• 1 teaspoon of dried sage
• ½ teaspoon of dried thyme
• 2 cups of butternut squash, cooked, peeled, and pureed
• 1 ½ cups of cooked whole-wheat spaghetti
• 12 ounces of skinless rotisserie chicken or cooked skinless chicken breast or leg, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups of cooked chopped broccoli florets
• ½ cup (2 ounces) of shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and cook.
3. Add the broth, sage, thyme, and butternut squash. Stir to combine, and heat.
4. Stir in the chicken, spaghetti, and broccoli. Heat, then turn off the heat.
5. Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Distribute the parmesan cheese on top.
6. Cook for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Cool and then serve.

Nutrition information per serving: calories: 360 kcal; total fat: 13 g; total carbohydrates: 34 g; sugar: 4 g; fiber: 6 g; protein: 29 g; sodium: 380 mg; cholesterol: 60 mg

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Reviewed by Heather Tonkins, Lark Health Coach