Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Spaghetti Is Comfort Food

When there’s a chill in the air, the one thing we always crave is a plate of classic comfort food. In search for more comfort-food options, I found Ree Drummond—also known as the Pioneer Woman—on Instagram sharing a casserole so comforting, folks were practically curling up with a blanket in the comments. Drummond’s easy Chicken Spaghetti is truly an old standard in Ree’s kitchen. It first appeared in her very first cookbook, way back in 2009, and fans have been head over heels ever since. “First Pioneer Woman recipe I ever tried, and I was hooked from there,” one fan wrote in the comments of her Instagram post.

In Ree’s post about the recipe on the Pioneer Woman website, she says it’s the only casserole recipe her husband will eat, and with tons of flavor in every bite, we totally get it. To copy it at home, you’ll need some standard casserole ingredients: cooked chicken, spaghetti, cream of mushroom soup, grated Cheddar, diced green peppers, diced onion, diced pimientos, chicken broth, seasoning salt and cayenne pepper. The recipe is pretty much just dump and bake, once your pasta is cooked. Drummond breaks her spaghetti up into smaller pieces, cooks it according to the package directions and adds it back to the pot, which is now off the heat. Be sure to cook your spaghetti until just al dente—overcooking it could lead to mushiness later on when the casserole is baked.

If you pile your pasta back into an oven-safe pot, like a Dutch oven, you can simply dump in the rest of your ingredients and build the casserole in one dish. Just empty the cans, chopped veggies and seasonings into the pot and toss everything together with tongs to combine. Add some extra cheese on top and season to taste with salt and pepper, then pop it into the oven and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Of course, tons of folks in the comments mentioned that this recipe makes a great freezer meal to prep before giving birth or to drop off for a friend going through a tough time. Ree was quick to offer extra information for those wise, thinking-ahead chefs. One of these casseroles can be split up into two disposable 8-by-8-inch casserole dishes, then covered with foil and frozen for about 6 months. For those reheating the icy casseroles, Ree suggests thawing them in the fridge for 24 hours before baking at 350°F with the foil on for 40 minutes. Then take the foil off and let the casseroles bake for another 10 minutes.

You can help make this recipe a little more heart-healthy by checking over your canned soup options carefully. Canned soups (like the cream of mushroom used in this recipe) can pack in lots of sodium into that little can. Look for cans that boast a “low sodium” label—that means that they have 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving. You could also check for “light in sodium” labels, which indicate that the soup has at least half the amount of sodium as the original version. If you choose to use store-bought chicken broth in this recipe rather than the homemade stuff, consider choosing a lower-sodium option there as well. You can choose options labeled “no sodium” or “sodium-free” if they’re available, and then season as needed.

While sodium is a necessary nutrient and needed for a flavorful dish, folks with diabetes or cardiovascular issues, such as high blood pressure, would be wise to monitor their intake. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that most adults aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium each day, but 90% of Americans overshoot that amount. Consuming excess sodium has been tied to higher blood pressure and a greater risk of heart attack or stroke.

However you modify this recipe to suit your tastes, you’re guaranteed a tasty plate of comfort food that’s perfect for weeknight meals and entertaining guests. Consider adding salad like our Fig & Goat Cheese Salad, Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing or Simple Green Salad with Citronette and a basket of warm bread or rolls.