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Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash. A seasonal take on everyone’s favorite pasta and meatballs. Roasted spaghetti squash stuffed with a creamy béchamel sauce. Then infused with homemade Italian-style chicken meatballs and sweet buttery roasted garlic. Everything is baked together until the cheese is melted and the meatballs are cooked perfectly. And it’s all made on just one sheet pan! This dish is an easy, delicious, and healthier way to enjoy pasta and meatball night.

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com

Say hello to what might be Creighton’s favorite recipe of all time. Just watch my Instagram stories for this recipe. At the end, you will see his love for this recipe. He says it’s like a cheesy meatball sub sandwich only minus the carb-heavy bread (which he tries to avoid).

I’m not sure why he refers to a meatball sandwich and not pasta, but whatever the case, Creighton thinks this is his favorite recipe to date. He’ll be watching the video of this recipe tonight and wishing so badly he could eat this again for dinner.

There’s certainly a lot of all-around love for this recipe. It’s going to be a hard one to top.

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com

I certainly don’t think meatballs and spaghetti squash are a new concept by any means. It’s the way I’ve cooked everything together that I think is a little more special. And while the recipe takes over an hour to create, it’s mostly just time allowing the squash to roast in the oven. This will typically take anywhere from 30-45 minutes depending on the size.

The process is actually relatively simple. Bake the squash with cheese. Then while the squash gets a head start in the oven, mix and form the meatballs. Then add the meatballs to the pan, and cook again.

Using the roasted garlic, make a garlic butter. Then slather it all over the cheesy meatballs and the squash. Use a fork to scrape up the squash and enjoy this wonderful goodness.

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com

Onto the finer details

Step 1: mix the cheese sauce

I love to use a blend of fontina, mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan. Sometimes I’ll use a gouda in place of fontina. It’s a really nice mix of creamy cheeses, but the provolone adds all the flavor, so don’t skip that one. Of course, you can also use your own favorite blend of cheese. Or even pick up a pre-shredded mix from the store to keep things really easy.

Mix the milk with the mozzarella cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. This is our cheese sauce.

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 2: season and stuff the squash

Ideally, find two smaller spaghetti squash. Think of each half as a personal spaghetti squash boat.

Cut the squash in half, pull the seeds out, and place the squash on a sheet pan. Now season with salt and pepper, add the parmesan cheese, and then the cheese mixture from above.

Arrange a handful of garlic around the squash, then bake everything to get the squash cooking.

Step 3: mix the meatballs

I make mine using ground chicken or ground turkey, Italian seasoning, dijon, and parmesan cheese. Just mix everything together and roll it into meatballs.

Pull the squash from the oven and add the meatballs to the pan. Bake again to cook the meatballs while the squash continues to cook.

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 4: add cheese and mix the garlic butter

Grab the pan from the oven one last time. This time remove the garlic from the pan. Set the garlic aside.

Next, top the squash with additional cheese and place the cooked meatballs into/on top of the squash. Bake to melt the cheese.

While the squash and meatballs are cooking in the oven, chop the roasted garlic, then mix it with butter and fresh herbs. I love to use a mix of basil, oregano, thyme, and sage.

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com

When you pull everything out of the oven, don’t be worried that the sauce looks soupy. Once you scrape the squash into strands of spaghetti and mix it together with the sauce it’s so delicious.

Spread the garlic butter over the meatballs and mix the rest into the squash. Use a fork to pull the squash into spaghetti. The smell alone will make you so excited.

This is a great recipe for busy weeknights when you want something warm and cozy, but still full of protein and vegetables.

Or serve this up to guests at your next dinner gathering. Either way, it’s perfect for autumn!

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other autumn squash recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon

Creamed Spaghetti Squash with Browned Butter Walnuts

Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon.

Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo

Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch

Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta

Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese

Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Orzo

Lastly, if you make this Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs Stuffed In Spaghetti Squash be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs Stuffed In Spaghetti Squash:

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 577 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Watch the How-To Reel

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
    2. In a bowl, mix together the milk, spinach, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
    3. Place the squash on a baking sheet and season the cut sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan cheese into the bottom of each squash. Then evenly divide the milk/cheese mix among the squash cavities. Cover with foil, bake 15 minutes.
    4. Meanwhile, mix the chicken, Italian seasoning, dijon, and 1/2 cup parmesan in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Coat your hands with oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (makes 15-16 meatballs).
    5. Remove the squash from the oven, remove the foil. Arrange the meatballs around the squash. Bake another 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked.
    6. Grab the squash. Remove the garlic from the pan. Sprinkle the provolone cheese over each squash half. Put the meatballs on top of the cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
    7. Chop the garlic and mix with the butter and herbs in a bowl. Spread the butter over the meatballs, then use a fork to scrape the squash into strands, mixing the cheese with the squash. Enjoy!

Notes

Roasting the Squash: if your squash is on the larger side, pre-roast it for 20-30 minutes before adding the cheese mixture.
 
 
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This post was originally published on September 18, 2023
4.67 from 80 votes (43 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve had this recipe saved in my Pinterest for awhile. I can not believe I took so long to make it!!! Wow wow wow. Absolutely amazing. My hubby and son were blown away by all the flavours and how filling it was. Definitely a family staple moving forward.

    1. Hey Brandie,
      Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you!

      Have a great holiday!🎄🎁

    1. Hi Renee,
      Sorry about that, you are going to add the garlic in step 5. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!

  2. Instructions are obtuse
    I realize that when you are writing down instructions
    Sometimes you jump ahead and forget others can’t fill
    In the blanks.
    It’s in the oven now. Didn’t have a giant pan so meatballs are
    Cooking on top of the squash….we’ll see how it turns out 🤷‍♂️

  3. Can you bake the meatballs separately and then add to squash with cheese and return to oven after? Just thinking I could make and then add meatballs to noodles for kids

    1. Hey Danielle,
      Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope your kiddos love the meatballs! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you! xT

  4. 5 stars
    Loved this so much!! My kiddos were huge fans too! Used the ground chicken for the meatballs & we were so surprised! Delicious!

    1. Hi Courtney, Thanks so much for giving this dish a try and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well for you! xT

  5. 3 stars
    WATCH VIDEO FIRST – instructions contain errors
    HBH- Please correct recipe instructions – completely different than video. No mention of roasting squash first with olive oil or roasting the garlic. Recipe will result in overcooked spinach mixture/undercooked squash and no roasted garlic ready for butter.

    1. Hi there,
      Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I apologize for any confusion with the instructions. I will review these for future use! xx

  6. 5 stars
    This is, quite possibly, the best recipe ever!!! So delicious!!! I had large spaghetti squash so I pre roasted my squash! Make this!!! You won’t regret it!!

  7. 5 stars
    Eating this and loving it! Loosely followed instructions. Definitely roasted squash a bit earlier in the day so it was ready for action. Thanks tieghan for another delicious meal.

    Resa and Joey