I just did the math and I’ve spent 5 nights in my apartment in the past 3 weeks. And I’m about to leave again for a conference in NYC.

Side note- who schedules a conference for 7:30AM-6PM on a SUNDAY?

It’s also the weekend of the tree lighting in the city so I’m sure it will be super laid back and not at all crowded there. Yes!

Can you tell I love being around people?

What else has been happening lately? Well, Gilmore Girls revival (hated), met my friend Sarah’s new baby over Thanksgiving (loved), had an incredibly turbulent flight home from Cleveland on Wednesday (hated), watched the whole first season of Amazon’s Good Girls Revolt (loved).

That about sums it up.

This recipe is 100% not mine. It went viral on Facebook around this time last year when Tasty came out with one of those awesome videos about how to make it. For that reason, I wasn’t going to blog about it. But now I feel that enough time has passed that maybe you saw that video and never got around to making it, or it’s all new to you.

Either way, I’ve probably made it 5 times. The GS says he likes it more than chicken parm with actual pasta. In my opinion this is blasphemous, especially for an Italian man, but I appreciate his acceptance of my healthier meals.

Chicken Parm Spaghetti Squash Boats

makes two (generous) servings

1 spaghetti squash

1-2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces/strips

1-2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder

vegetable oil

tomato sauce- I usually use jarred if I’m being honest but this one is quick

Poke the spaghetti squash all over with a fork. Microwave it for about 10 minutes (this just makes it easier to cut) and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, and brush with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place scooped-side down on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, depending on how “al-dente” you want the squash to be.

While the squash is baking, cook the chicken. Dip it in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Pan fry in vegetable oil (I don’t recommend olive oil because it will get very smoky in your kitchen) until both sides are browned and chicken is cooked through. Season immediately with salt and set aside.

Once the squash is cooked, pull at it with a fork to loosen it from the skin. Top with tomato sauce, then add the chicken. Top with freshly grated Parmesan (or mozzarella!) cheese, and bake at 350 for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

This can 100% be done ahead of time, and is idiot proof. Half of a squash is a really big portion, but it’s obviously prettier to serve them this way. If you end up with extra squash, you can always reheat it later and add some spinach, sausage, and sauteed onions.

If you recall, I’m all about re-purposing leftovers.

I’m mostly staying put for the next 3 weeks or so, so hopefully I’ll post some more fun recipes before we bid farewell to 2016!