Butternut Squash Stuffed with Chicken and Cheese

Shredded chicken is a staple in my freezer for quick meals.  It's a staple, but not very glamorous.  So I thought I'd try something new today: mix it up w/ cheese and marinara sauce, then bake until ooey gooey.  YUM!

I used some leftover butternut squash bottoms (the bulbous part with the seeds inside).  I'd already used the top parts for something else last week.  If you have whole squashes on hand, just cut off the straight top section, wrap it in foil and refrigerate it for another meal.

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Chicken and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash bottom, halved with seeds scooped out
• salt & pepper
• 1-ish cup cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1-ish cup prepared marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's from a jar)
• a few tablespoons shredded mozzarella
• a few tablespoons of parmesan (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place butternut squash halves, skin down, on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil.  Sprinkle lightly with s&p.  Bake for about 45 minutes until fork tender.  (You can pre-bake the empty squashes a few days in advance, then wrap them in foil and refrigerate until you're ready to fill them.  Or if you fail to plan in advance, like me sometimes, you can microwave the squash halves for about 4 - 5 minutes until tender.)
• Meanwhile, mix the chicken and marinara sauce together in a bowl.  Season with more s&p as needed.
• Once the squash is fork tender, remove from the oven and fill with the chicken mixture and top with the mozzarella (and optional parmesan).  Return the squash to the oven for another 20 - 30 minutes until cheese is melted and everything is bubbly.