Pioneer Woman chicken spaghetti bakes broken spaghetti with shredded chicken, cream of mushroom soup, sharp cheddar, and diced peppers in one casserole dish at 350°F. And Ree Drummond’s recipe serves 8 at around 375 calories in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, since the pasta cooks in the chicken broth before everything mixes together.
Ree Drummond cooks the spaghetti directly in the leftover chicken broth instead of plain salted water, which seasons the pasta from the inside out. That one decision is what separates a rich, cohesive casserole from a bland one, because the starch absorbs the chicken flavor as it boils.
Dicing the green pepper, onion, and pimentos as small as possible is the detail Ree flags herself, because large chunks make picky eaters push the casserole away. Cut everything fine enough that the pieces disappear into the cheesy sauce, so the flavor is there but nothing stands out visually.
Source: The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond)
Pioneer Woman Chicken Spaghetti
Course: Chicken, DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings30
minutes45
minutes375
kcalSpaghetti breaks into 2-inch pieces and cooks al dente in chicken broth, so the pasta absorbs flavor before it ever meets the sauce. Then cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups of sharp cheddar, diced peppers, pimentos, and shredded chicken fold in. And the remaining cup of cheddar goes on top before 45 minutes at 350°F turns the casserole bubbly and golden.
Ingredients
- For the chicken and pasta:
2 cups cooked chicken (from a poached fryer or rotisserie chicken)
3 cups spaghetti, uncooked, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 cups reserved chicken broth
- For the sauce and filling:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 (4-oz) jar diced pimentos, drained
1 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
- For the topping:
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided (2 cups in the mix, 1 cup on top)
Directions
- Cook the chicken: Poach a whole cut-up fryer chicken in water until cooked through, then pick out 2 cups of meat and reserve the broth. Or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken and boxed broth to skip this step.
- Cook the spaghetti in broth: Break the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces, then boil in the reserved chicken broth until al dente, since the pasta finishes cooking during the 45-minute bake.
- Combine the filling: Once the spaghetti is drained, toss it with the chicken, cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups of cheddar, green pepper, onion, pimentos, seasoned salt, cayenne, and salt and pepper.
- Fill the dish: Transfer the mixture to a casserole pan and spread it into an even layer, because uneven distribution means some bites are dry while others are soupy.
- Top with cheese: Scatter the remaining 1 cup of sharp cheddar evenly across the surface, since an edge-to-edge layer melts into a golden crust.
- Bake until bubbly: Cook at 350°F for 45 minutes until the cheese is golden and the edges bubble. Cover with foil if the cheese starts to darken too quickly.
- Rest and serve: Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before scooping, so the sauce thickens slightly and each serving holds together.
FAQs
Why does Ree cook the spaghetti in chicken broth instead of water?
The broth infuses the pasta with chicken flavor from the inside, because starch absorbs whatever liquid it cooks in. Spaghetti boiled in plain water only tastes like whatever sauce coats the outside, so the broth gives this casserole a deeper, more unified flavor.
If you use a rotisserie chicken and don’t have homemade broth, low-sodium boxed chicken broth works at the same 2-cup amount. Season it lightly before cooking the pasta, since the seasoned salt and cream of mushroom soup add their own salt later.
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Penne, rotini, or elbow macaroni all work and hold the chunky sauce even better than spaghetti. The recipe calls for breaking the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces specifically so every forkful picks up sauce and cheese, since long strands would pull out of the casserole in messy clumps.
Whatever shape you choose, cook it al dente and no further, because the 45-minute bake finishes the job. Overcooked pasta turns to mush inside a cream-sauce casserole, since it keeps absorbing liquid from the soup and broth.
What can I swap for cream of mushroom soup?
Cream of chicken, cream of celery, or cream of onion all work as direct substitutes, and Ree mentions using cream of chicken and mushroom as a combination. The canned soup is what gives the sauce its thick, creamy body without building a separate roux.
A homemade white sauce with sautéed mushrooms is an option if you want to skip the cans, but it adds 15 minutes and an extra pan. Use about 2 cups of thick béchamel to match the volume of two cans. For another Pioneer Woman casserole that uses the same cream-soup base, try the Pioneer Woman green bean casserole.
How far ahead can I make this, and can I freeze it?
Ree builds this casserole for make-ahead convenience, and the unbaked dish stores in the fridge covered for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, and add 5 to 10 extra minutes if the center still feels cold.
Freezing works for up to 6 months if you wrap the unbaked casserole in plastic then foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking at the standard time and temperature. That freeze window makes it one of the best batch-cooking recipes in Ree’s rotation.
What sides go with this casserole?
Roasted broccoli or a simple green salad cuts through the richness, since the cream soup and 3 cups of cheddar make this dish heavy enough on its own. Pull-apart garlic herb biscuits are another option Ree recommends, because they soak up any sauce that pools at the edges.
Keep the sides light and green, since the casserole handles all the carbs and protein in one pan. And for another Pioneer Woman baked pasta that freezes and reheats well, try the Pioneer Woman baked ziti for a red-sauce alternative.
