Chicken Spaghetti with saucy noodles and satisfying bites—great warm or chilled for lunches and picnics.
Comfort-Forward Chicken Spaghetti for Lunchboxes and Picnics
A creamy, cheesy bake that holds together for easy slices and keeps its saucy, tender texture whether served warm or chilled.
This is the kind of bright, make-ahead dish Sunrise & Crumb lives for: saucy spaghetti threaded with tender, shredded poached chicken and melted sharp cheddar. The first forkful is all creamy warmth — soft pasta wrapped in a rich sauce with pockets of sweet red pepper and tender peas that pop against the cheese.
A simple custard of condensed cream of chicken soup, whole milk and eggs binds the noodles so every bite stays satisfying instead of soupy. Sautéed onion, red bell pepper and garlic — cooked in olive oil and a touch of butter — add savory sweetness and depth, while extra butter on the baking dish helps create those craveable golden edges.
This is a wonderfully practical recipe: cook the spaghetti until just al dente, shred poached chicken, stir everything together, and bake in a buttered 9x9 pan. With about 20 minutes of prep and roughly 35 minutes in the oven you’ll have a casserole that slices into neat portions for lunches, travels well for picnics, and tastes great chilled or reheated.
Serve it straight from the oven with a crisp green salad or pack it cold into lunchboxes for an easy midday meal. Priya Lane’s version is built for mornings and midday wins — comforting, portable, and reliably delicious no matter where the day takes you.
Ingredients
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x9-inch (or similar) baking dish and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente (about 8 minutes); drain and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, poach the chicken: place the chicken breasts in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F (about 12–15 minutes); remove, let rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add chopped onion and diced red pepper and cook until softened (4–5 minutes); add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- In a large bowl whisk together the condensed soup, milk, eggs, smoked paprika, parsley, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Add the drained spaghetti, shredded chicken, sautéed vegetables, frozen peas, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar to the bowl; toss thoroughly so the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar over the top, cover with foil and bake 20 minutes; remove foil and bake another 8–10 minutes until edges are bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
- Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before slicing into 4 portions. Cool completely before refrigerating for up to 4 days or freeze in portions for up to 2 months; reheat covered in a 350°F oven or microwave until hot.
Recipe Card
Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken Spaghetti with saucy noodles and satisfying bites—great warm or chilled for lunches and picnics.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x9-inch (or similar) baking dish and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente (about 8 minutes); drain and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, poach the chicken: place the chicken breasts in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F (about 12–15 minutes); remove, let rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add chopped onion and diced red pepper and cook until softened (4–5 minutes); add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- In a large bowl whisk together the condensed soup, milk, eggs, smoked paprika, parsley, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Add the drained spaghetti, shredded chicken, sautéed vegetables, frozen peas, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar to the bowl; toss thoroughly so the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar over the top, cover with foil and bake 20 minutes; remove foil and bake another 8–10 minutes until edges are bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
- Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before slicing into 4 portions. Cool completely before refrigerating for up to 4 days or freeze in portions for up to 2 months; reheat covered in a 350°F oven or microwave until hot.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 58
- Saturated Fat
- 12
- Sodium
- 1000
- Fiber
- 4
- Unsaturated Fat
- 18
- Protein
- 52
- Fat
- 29
- Cholesterol
- 190
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 750
- Sugar
- 7