I think Chicken Spaghetti is a classic that almost all of us enjoy at one point or another in our childhood. While my mom claims to have made it a few times when I was a kid, I mostly remember trying it for the first time at my grandma’s house. Even though my grandma was the cook of the family, I’m still not sure if it was her or one of my aunts that made the chicken spaghetti.
If you are one of the unlucky few that never had chicken spaghetti, well you’re in for a treat today. Chicken Spaghetti is… pretty much what it sounds like. Chicken + spaghetti noodles. It’s not like classic spaghetti though. There’s no tomato spaghetti sauce involved here. Oh, no. No, no, no.
Instead of spaghetti sauce, chicken spaghetti is made using a mixture of soups and cheese to make the sauce instead. There’s a bit of a kick in there from the diced tomatoes and green chiles too. It’s subtle and even my picky mouth as a child enjoyed it.
To lighten this rather unkind dish up, I started off with the pasta. I grabbed a protein infused ‘ancient grain’ pasta for the spaghetti noodles. If I’m going to have pasta, I want it to be as guilt-free as possible. The next thing I did was chuck the canned soups and grabbed a couple of organic boxed soups instead. Everything as low-sodium as possible, or even ‘no salt added’!
This is a lightened up dish. It’s definitely something to enjoy when you’re indulging your cravings a bit but don’t want to completely go overboard. That’s what I like to do. Eat the things I want, but with a few more health conscious swaps.
If you deny yourself the things you want the most, you’ll likely end up making bigger mistakes later!
TheSkinnyFork.com A traditional chicken spaghetti with cheese, peppers, onions, and chicken - lightened up with a few simple swaps and just as cheesy and delicious as the original! Prep Time: 10 Minutes • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Servings: 12 • Serving Size: About 1 Cup • Calories: 394 • Fat: 19 g • Saturated Fat: 10 g • Carb: 31 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 23 g • Sugar: 2 g • Sodium: 484 mg
• 1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cooked & Shredded
• 14.5 Oz. Box Ancient Grain Spaghetti Pasta, Cooked & Drained
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 1 Medium White Onion, Chopped
• 4 Tbsp. Light Butter
• 16 Oz. American Cheese (Velveeta)
• 1 (14.5 Oz.) Can/Box Organic Low-Sodium Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 (14.5 Oz.) Can/Box Organic Low-Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 (10 Oz.) Can 'No Salt Added' Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles (Rotel)
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Set the cooked shredded chicken and the drained pasta side.
Place the green bell pepper, onion, and 4 Tbsp. of light butter into the base of a large stock or soup pot and heat over a medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are becoming tender.
Add in the 16 Oz. cheese, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles.
Bring it all to a bubble, stirring occasionally.
Add in the shredded chicken and stir, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, mix in the noodles (about half at a time) to incorporate the sauce and the noodles together.
Divide evenly among bowls and garnish with some parsley if desired.
Enjoy right away!
Nutritional Claims: Sugar Conscious • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Sugar Added
