Danielle Walker's recipe for chicken, bacon and ranch squash noodles
Bestselling author Danielle Walker says she found health through dietary and lifestyle changes, and now she's sharing her delicious, healthy recipes in her cookbook.
At 22, Walker was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease, which caused her to adopt dietary changes, including eliminating gluten. She has started sharing her grain gluten-free recipes on her blog as a beacon of hope for others.
Now, Walker has several books and dropped by "GMA3" to share a delicious recipe for chicken, bacon and ranch squash noodles.
Chicken, bacon and ranch squash noodles
Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash (about three pounds)
8 ounces of thick-cut bacon slices
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions Position one rack in the top slot and one rack in the middle slot of the oven. Place the squash directly on the middle rack and turn on the heat to 400 degrees to soften the skin.
Meanwhile, line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices and chicken in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Remove the warmed squash from the oven, slice off both ends and cut crosswise into four or five rounds. Scoop out the seeds from the center of each round. Drizzle both sides of the rounds with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then arrange the rounds in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan.
Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the bacon slices and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the bacon is crisp, the chicken is cooked through and the squash is fork-tender.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the bacon, chicken and squash to a plate to rest, leaving the rendered bacon fat on the pan. Add the tomatoes to the pan, toss with the bacon fat, season with a pinch each of salt and pepper and spread into a single layer.
Place on the top rack and turn the oven to broil. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst. Meanwhile, dice the chicken and bacon.
Use a fork to pull the flesh into noodle-like strands from the sides of the squash rounds. Discard the skins. Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 cup of the ranch dressing, and toss to mix. Gently stir in the bacon, chicken and tomatoes and drizzle the remaining ranch over the top. Serve immediately.
