In one of my first posts How I Eat Healthy I mention that sneaking an extra dose of veggies into my recipes is one of my favorite healthy cooking hacks. I love to really pack a dish full of nutrient rich veggies that are camouflaged by mouth watering flavors. And my Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles are a perfect example of this. These noodles are accompanied by lots of carrots and bell peppers making this a perfect healthy weeknight meal.

In fact, these Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles are probably one of the most requested dinner meals by my husband. Here’s a little quick background story about my hubs. Prior to 2011 (the year we met) his favorite (and possibly only) vegetable he ate was corn. Yup. Corn. So I had to be very clever and creative with how I proved that veggies could be amazingly delicious. My chicken peanut noodles was one of the first dishes he really enjoyed that had a healthy dose of vegetables snuck in.

Now fast forward 10 years and I make this meal on the reg. We love this dish so much that we often fight over who gets the leftovers. These noodles are just as tasty warmed up as they are the night you make them.

Start by cooking the chicken. For this dish I had cooked and shredded a bunch of chicken the night before. You could sauté and dice the chicken or boil and shred.

Next you will want to cook your noodles. You could use fettuccine or spaghetti noodles. I used these low carb linguine noodles I had hanging out in my pantry. Feel free to use rice or other grain alternative noodle if making this dish gluten free. I have used rice noodles before and they hold up well.

Next you want to slice up your veggies. I believe the fancy culinary term is to julienne. Just try to make the peppers and carrots medium thin strips.

Add your oil to a large fry pan and cook your peppers and carrots for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Meanwhile, mix up your Thai Peanut Sauce. Stir together peanut butter, soy sauce (Tamari if making gluten free), chicken broth, chili sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

Add the chicken and noodles to the pan and carefully mix in the sauce. Stir until well combined and heated through.

Top with cilantro, peanuts, green onion and a lime wedge. Enjoy! Leftovers will keep in the fridge 4-5 days (if they last that long).

If you make this dish I would love to see it.

Be sure to tag @movinglikeamother!

Check out more of my favorite weeknight meals below:

Healthy Zucchini Corn and Chicken Chowder

Healthy Stuffed Acorn Squash

Healthy(ish) Homemade Pizza

-Monica

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

A delicious, quick and easy weeknight meal. A flavorful Thai inspired dish with nutrient rich bell peppers and carrots. Quick to whip up and makes great leftovers to enjoy all week long.

Course

Main Dish

Keyword

noodles

Servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb Cooked Chicken Shredded or cubed
12 oz Cooked Linguine (Use gluten free noodles as desired)
3 Medium Carrots Julienned
1 Red Bell Pepper Thinly sliced
1 Orange Bell Pepper Thinly sliced
3 Cloves of Garlic Minced

Sauce

Toppings

Course

Main Dish

Keyword

noodles

Servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb Cooked Chicken Shredded or cubed
12 oz Cooked Linguine (Use gluten free noodles as desired)
3 Medium Carrots Julienned
1 Red Bell Pepper Thinly sliced
1 Orange Bell Pepper Thinly sliced
3 Cloves of Garlic Minced

Sauce

Toppings

Instructions

1. Boil noodles according to box directions. Drain and set aside
2. Preheat oil in a large skilled. Add bell pepper and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute or until fragrant.
3. While vegetables are cooking prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, chili sauce, chicken broth, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar.
4. Add drained pasta, cooked chicken, and sauce into the skillet and mix until fully combined and heated through.
5. Top with chopped peanuts, cilantro, green onions and a lime wedge.

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I’m definitely a seasonal cook. I love cozy soups in the winter, spring vegetable casseroles starting in April, and hotdogs on the grill come summer. And you can bet your bottom dollar as soon as those leaves start changing colors I’m whipping up warm comfort foods. I love recipes full of seasonal fruits and veggies and delightful fall time seasonings, just like this healthy stuffed acorn squash.

I’m a little surprised at the amount of people who have never tried acorn squash. Sure, it’s a little goofier looking than it’s close popular relative the butternut squash, but it has really nice flavor and texture. Not to mention it has many nutritional benefits including high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. And it’s full of antioxidants which helps your body fight of chronic health conditions.

This recipe is filled with good for you veggies, plus tasty Italian sausage, and fragrant rosemary and thyme. Naturally gluten and dairy free this recipe fits the bill for anyone with avoiding those two allergen groups. But total confession; have sprinkled some cheese on top to appease my husband and I didn’t hate it.

The hardest part is cutting the acorn squash in half. It’s a bit of a workout. Just find your largest, sharpest knife and be careful!

Then it’s just a little dicing, browning, stirring, and filling those cute little acorn squash up with delicious fall flavors.

So throw on your cozy flannel, turn on some football, and try this healthy stuffed acorn squash recipe. Full of vitamin rich veggies and comforting sweet and savory flavors this is sure to be an instant fave.

If you give it a try I’d love to know. Snap a pic and tag @movinglikeamother.

You can find more great fall time recipes below:

Healthy Zucchini, Corn, & Chicken Chowder

Healthy Cinnamon, Apple, Oat Muffins

Enjoy!

–Monica

Healthy Stuffed Acorn Squash

Warm and comforting this recipe for stuffed acorn squash is filled with healthy vegetables and tasty sweet Italian sausage. It's naturally gluten and dairy free and full of healthy nutrients. Easy to make and filled with sweet and savory flavors.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Homemade

Keyword

squash

Servings

servings

Ingredients

2 acorn squash halved length wise and seeds/string scooped out
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 medium apple cored and diced
2 stalks of celery diced
2 cups spinach roughly chopped
1 Tbsp dried thyme chopped
2 tsp rosemary chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Homemade

Keyword

squash

Servings

servings

Ingredients

2 acorn squash halved length wise and seeds/string scooped out
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 medium apple cored and diced
2 stalks of celery diced
2 cups spinach roughly chopped
1 Tbsp dried thyme chopped
2 tsp rosemary chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Place the 4 acorn squash halves (seeds removed) open-side down on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the top of your squash feels tender when gently pressed. Set aside after removing from oven.
While the squash roasts begin to make the filling. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the sausage and stir to break up lumps, about 5-8 minutes until just browned. Remove sausage and set aside. Drain or wipe out excess grease from pan.
Reheat saucepan over medium low heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent. Add the apples and herbs and continue to cook, stirring until the apples soften. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Stir in cooked sausage.
Reheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill all 4 halves of the squash with the stuffing mixture (you may have leftover depending on how big your squash was.
Arrange the squash on the baking sheet, stuffing side up, and let roast in the oven for 20 min checking often to prevent burning. Once nice and browned, remove from oven, allow to cool a bit and then serve warm. Enjoy!

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