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meal prep spaghetti squash, shredded chicken and spinach
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5 from 1 vote

Week 4 Basics: Shredded Chicken, Spinach, and Spaghetti Squash

We’re kicking off Week 4 of our Cook Once, Eat All Week series with this week’s base recipes! We’re making use of shredded chicken, spaghetti squash, and spinach. Get your components prepped so that you can quickly whip up the recipes coming later this week!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Cassy

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 10 ounce bags frozen spinach
  • 2 medium-sized spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

For the Chicken:

  • Stovetop method:Dust the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
  • Add chicken to a large pan with a lid over medium-high heat and cover with 5 cups of water or chicken broth. Place the lid on the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool, then shred with two forks or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
  • Slow Cooker method:Dust the chicken with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
  • Place chicken in the slow cooker and cover with 5 cups water or chicken broth. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, then shred with two forks or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
  • Instant Pot method:Dust the chicken with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
  • Place chicken in the Instant Pot along with ½ cup water or chicken broth. Close the lid of the Instant Pot, ensure the pressure valve is sealed, and set the cooker to “poultry” mode for 20 minutes.
  • Once the timer goes off, quickly release the pressure valve, open the pot once all steam has been released, and shred the chicken with two forks or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.

For the Spinach:

  • Either microwave or steam the spinach according to the directions on your frozen spinach package. Once spinach is cooled, place in a cheesecloth or tea towel and wring out the excess moisture from the spinach. Store in an airtight container.

For the Spaghetti Squash:

  • Heat the oven to 350 F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place cut side-down on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Bake 45-60 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
  • Once cool enough to touch, scoop the spaghetti strands out of 2 of the squash halves and store in an airtight container. Preserve the other two spaghetti squash halves for the buffalo chicken boats and store whole in an airtight container.

Notes


Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 413mg | Potassium: 1050mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 347IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg