Italian-Inspired Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Bowl

Though this may seem completely untrue, sometimes I lack any inspiration when it comes to my meals. I sit with my Amazon Fresh cart open, Googling "best dinner recipes" because I can't even think of a single dish in existence. Which is what happened to me the other day. This can be eternally frustrating, ruining all of your meal-prep plans and destined to lead you to Seamless delivery. However, my friends, there is always a way out. And it's called "scrolling until the lightbulb hits you."

So here was my thought process that got me from an uninspired to a new delicious made-up recipe:

• Search on Pinterest "dinner recipes." Scroll for about 20 minutes with nothing striking my fancy
• See "French onion soup" and think "I love caramelized onions." So there was a starting point.
• Then think "I love this pasta dish with caramelized onions and sun dried tomatoes. But I don't want pasta....so something with the onions and tomatoes"
• "What's a good pasta alternative? Zoodles? Too light?" Pinterest "healthy noodle dishes." See spaghetti squash - yes!
• "But I feel that that won't be satisfying enough. Should probably have some protein, like chicken"
• Pinterest "chicken, caramelized onion and sun dried tomatoes" See a recipe with spinach and goat cheese.
• Decided to put them all in a bowl and call it dinner!

See, all is never lost. However you may need to go down some bizarre Pinterest rabbit holes to get there. And honestly this is one of the yummiest, most satisfying healthy dishes that I've made up in a while.

Italian Spaghetti Squash and Chicken Bowl

Serves 4

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 T + 1 T + 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 12 sun dried tomato halves, sliced (not in oil)
• 3 cups frozen spinach
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 4 oz goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400*. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, remove the seeds, drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cut side down onto a baking sheet and roast until can be easily pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. When cooked, remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then scoop out the insides with a fork into a bowl.

While the squash is cooking, make the caramelized onions. In a saute pan, heat the butter and 1 T oil together until the butter is melted. Add the onions and saute until they turn translucent and start to brown. Then, turn the heat down to low, cover, and let them cook away, slowly turned more sweet and golden. Stir every 10 minutes or so, they should be done at the end of the 40 minutes.

Note: Squash and onions can be made 2-3 days in advance.

When the onions are done, add the sliced sun dried tomatoes and 1/4 olive oil. Cook until the tomatoes have started to plump up and the oil has taken on the flavor of the vegetables. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, add the frozen spinach with some salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Place in a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and heat over medium. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then saute until cooked through (no pink in the middle) and golden on all sides, tossing every couple of minutes.

Now, all of your components are done! On a plate, layer 1/4 of each of the spaghetti squash, spinach, chicken, and onion/tomato mixture, then top with 1 oz of goat cheese. Repeat with the following 3 plates.