It may come to no surprise to you, that I like to be in and out of the kitchen on weekday evenings. Dinner in mere minutes is how I like to roll. To make that happen, some prep work needs to take place on the weekend. This Creamy Spaghetti Squash Chicken & Broccoli Casserole is more than a prep, it’s a meal ‘ready to go’ for those busy weeknights.

Prep Ahead

Here’s the thing. Who wants to spend hours on end prepping food on the weekend? Not me. I want to enjoy my weekend with friends and family …or even just a random Netflix binge sounds better than spending the day in the kitchen, right? So while I do find the time to prep, I make it simple and get it done in an hour.

Prepping veggies is a must and I usually get 2 proteins done in that hour as well. Thankfully I have a double oven! I will roast a few vegetables (my go-to’s are broccolini/broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and/or sweet potatoes). I’ll cook a chicken of some sort – whether it be thighs, legs or a whole chicken and get some kind of ground meat cooked up in a pan on the stove. Just having these few things done saves me so much time on weekday evenings!

When thinking up a way to use my spaghetti squash, I already had the broccoli and chicken cooked up so this Creamy Spaghetti Squash Chicken & Broccoli Casserole came together in no time! I baked it all and stored in refrigerator for easy an ‘slice and eat’ throughout the week but just having the chicken and broccoli prepped ahead will make tossing this casserole together on a weeknight super easy and quick.

Casseroles Make Weeknights Easy

I like the idea of making up a couple of casseroles or ‘bakes’ on Sunday and having them on hand for weeknight meals and/or lunches to take to work. If you have the time to get a couple of these types of meals done, go for it! Make your weekday easier by having these meals on hand. I have a ‘Cheeseless Cheeseburger Casserole‘ that you might want to give a try as well. It’s another super easy/prep ahead to keep tucked away in your fridge for a night when you just want to have dinner on the table in 5 minutes!

Inquiring Minds

Do you like to prep ahead? If so, what are your strategies? I know many who like to prep random foods and just have things on hand for the week (much like I suggested above). There are also those who do it very methodically and have the meals already placed into individual containers so the meals are ready to go.

I do love cooking and creating in the kitchen but I also like to be in and out so I can enjoy time with family and friends. I give myself an hour to get things done and then that’s it – I’m outta there! While it’s therapeutic at times to create recipes, it’s equally as therapeutic to have the down time before the work week starts. So tell me – if you’re a “prepper”, do you give yourself a block of time to prep? Do you just go for it and do what ya gotta do ….no matter how long it takes? OR do you even prep at all?

Whether or not you prep or not, I highly suggest making this Creamy Spaghetti Squash Chicken & Broccoli Casserole. It’s been tried and tested by my family and all the thumbs ups were given!