High-protein butternut squash halves with chicken, spinach and feta

High-protein butternut squash halves from the oven, filled with chicken breast, spinach, onions and feta and topped with pumpkin seeds. A gluten-free dinner with 40 g of protein per serving.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 20 min
• Cooking time: 50 min
• Total time: 70 min
• Calories: 462 kcal per serving
• Protein: 40 g
• Fat: 16 g
• Carbs: 35 g

Ingredients

• 2 butternut squashes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g chicken breast
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 150g baby spinach
• 100g feta
• 30g pumpkin seeds
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 pinch of pepper

Method

You’ll need: oven · chopping board · knife

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Halve the butternut squashes lengthways, scoop out the seeds and score the flesh in a diamond pattern.
2. Brush the halves with half the olive oil, salt them and bake cut side up at 200 °C for 35 minutes.
3. Cut the chicken breast into small cubes, dice the onion and garlic and fry everything in the rest of the olive oil for 6 minutes. Season with paprika, thyme, salt and pepper.
4. Add the spinach and let it wilt. Scoop some of the squash flesh out of the halves with a spoon and stir it into the filling.
5. Spoon the mixture into the butternut squash halves, crumble the feta over the top, scatter with pumpkin seeds and bake for a further 12 minutes at 200 °C.
6. Serve one butternut squash half per person.

Good to know

Butternut halves are plate and side dish in one. While they soften in the oven, you fry chicken with spinach, and the filling goes back into the squash with feta. A dinner with plenty of protein, no rice or pasta needed.

Swaps

Chicken breast → turkey breast. Feta → goat's cheese (pasteurised in pregnancy). Spinach → kale (fry for longer). Butternut squash → Hokkaido squash (skin on).

Cooking tips

Scoring the flesh in diamonds helps the squash cook evenly. If a half won't sit straight, cut a thin slice off the bottom.

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge; reheat in the oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes.

Allergens

Contains milk (feta); gluten-free, no egg or nuts. Suitable for children; in pregnancy, cook the chicken right through and use feta made from pasteurised milk.

Frequently asked questions

How long do stuffed butternut squash halves keep in the fridge?

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge; reheat in the oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes.