Ree Drummond Just Shared One of Her Most Classic Casserole Recipes, and Fans Say It's Their Ultimate Comfort Food
Get out your forks, it's Chicken Spaghetti night.
Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia
With school back in session, football season on the horizon and temperatures just barely starting to dip, it's clear that autumn is almost upon us. When that fall chill arrives, the one thing we always crave is a plate of classic comfort food. (Seriously—here are just *some* of our many favorites.)
The good news is that Ree Drummond—also known as the Pioneer Woman—hopped on Instagram this week to share 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 recent Instagram post.
Related: Ree Drummond Just Shared the 10 Secrets That Helped Her Lose 55 Pounds in a Year
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.
Related: The #1 Comfort Food That's Actually Good for You
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 six 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.
Related: Ree Drummond's Wellness Journey Includes Chocolate Cake and Totchos: "I'm Not Good When I Deny Myself"
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, according to the Food and Drug Administration. You could also check for "light in sodium" labels, which indicate that the soup has at least half the amount of sodium that the original version does. 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. Or you can even choose options labeled "no sodium" or "sodium-free" if they're available, and then you can season as needed.
While sodium is a necessary nutrient and pretty necessary for a flavorful dish, folks with diabetes or cardiovascular issues, such as high blood pressure, would be wise to keep an eye on their intake. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that most adults aim for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day, but 90% of Americans overshoot that amount, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC notes that 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. Pair it with a cold glass of Orange-Earl Grey Iced Tea and welcome the fall deliciously.
