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I love taking my favorite comfort food recipes and making them lighter and more Weight Watchers friendly. Staying on plan is so much easier when you make foods the entire family will enjoy. This chicken spaghetti casserole, inspired by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), is a perfect example.
When I first came across Ree’s version of chicken spaghetti, I loved the idea but knew it could use a little lightening up for my WW lifestyle. With just a few simple swaps, I created this version that’s creamy, cheesy, and every bit as satisfying.
(If you love classic dishes made lighter, don’t miss my full collection of WW-Friendly Comfort Foods Made Lighter. It’s packed with cozy favorites you can enjoy while staying on track.)
As Ree says, “Everyone loves this dish and I know you will too!”
Here’s a Food Network video of Ree whipping up her version of chicken spaghetti casserole…
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients
- How I Made Pioneer Chicken Spaghetti Lighter
- Recipe Notes
- Serving Suggestions
- How Many Calories and WW Points in this Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Made Lighter?
- Recipe Variations
- The Pioneer Woman Chicken Spaghetti Made Lighter Recipe
- More Weight Watchers Friendly Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- FAQs About Chicken Spaghetti
- Want More Easy WW-Friendly Comfort Food Recipes?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Family-friendly comfort food – creamy, cheesy, and satisfying without being overly heavy.
- WW-friendly – fewer calories and points thanks to smart swaps like reduced-fat cheese, less pasta, and lean chicken breast.
- Flexible ingredients – easy to swap in different vegetables, cheeses, or soups depending on what’s in your pantry.
- Great for leftovers – reheats beautifully and makes an easy lunch the next day.
- Easy to scale – make a smaller batch or double it for a crowd.
Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients
Here is what you’ll need to make my lighter chicken spaghetti:
- Cooked chicken breast – lean protein that keeps the dish lighter (great use for leftovers or rotisserie chicken).
- Spaghetti – I use less pasta than Ree’s original recipe so the dish is more balanced with protein.
- Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup – a lighter swap for the original canned soup.
- Reduced-fat cheddar cheese – still creamy and delicious, but with fewer calories and points.
- Roasted red bell pepper – my lighter substitute for pimentos, adds sweetness and color.
- Green onions – milder than regular onions and add a nice pop of freshness.
- Optional vegetables – mushrooms, cauliflower, or corn can be added for extra bulk and nutrition.
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, or your favorite spices to taste.
How I Made Pioneer Chicken Spaghetti Lighter
Here are the simple changes I made to lighten up Ree’s original version:
- Made a smaller batch
- Swapped in more chicken breast and less spaghetti
- Used Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
- Substituted reduced-fat cheddar cheese and used less of it
- Replaced pimentos with roasted red bell peppers
- Used sliced green onions instead of regular onion
- Skipped the green bell pepper (personal preference)
Recipe Notes
- Ree cooks chicken from scratch for her casserole. I usually wait until I have leftover cooked chicken on hand.
- Using less pasta and more chicken shifts the balance toward lean protein, making the casserole more filling and WW-friendly.
- Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup keeps it creamy without excess sodium or fat.
- Reduced-fat cheddar cheese melts beautifully while cutting down calories and points.
- You can mix up the vegetables depending on what you like or what you have on hand.
Serving Suggestions
- Pair with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables to balance out the creaminess.
- A side of steamed broccoli or sautéed spinach makes a quick and healthy addition.
- For portion control, bake in individual ramekins or meal-prep containers.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Made Lighter?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 382 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
8 PointsPlus (Old plan)
For comparison, nutritional estimates for the original Pioneer Woman Chicken Spaghetti, that makes 8 servings: 494 calories, 24g fat, 964mg sodium, 38g carbohydrates, 2g fibers and 28g protein.
Recipe Variations
- Want more veggies? Add mushrooms, cauliflower, corn, or even spinach.
- No spaghetti? Use penne, rotini, or any pasta shape you like.
- No cream of chicken soup? Try cream of mushroom, cream of celery, low-fat sour cream, or nonfat Greek yogurt.
- No cheddar cheese? Use mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or whatever cheese you have on hand.
If you like this recipe for lighter pasta be sure to check out: Slow Cooker Spaghetti Frittata, Light and Creamy One Pot Pasta, Pasta wit Broccoli and Chicken, Creamy Slow Cooker Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta, The Pioneer Woman Lightens Up with Low Carb Recipes
If you’ve made this low fat Chicken Spaghetti Casserole, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
The Pioneer Woman Chicken Spaghetti Made Lighter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chopped chicken breast
- 1-1/2 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces and cooked until al dente
- 1 can low fat cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell’s Healthy Request)
- 1-1/2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (divided)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted red bell pepper (or pimentos)
- 1 cup low fat chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the shredded cheese and all other ingredients. Stir together until everything is well mixed.
- Coat a casserole dish (affiliate link) with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the mixture in the casserole pan and then top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Bake until bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes. (If the cheese on top gets too brown, cover with foil.)
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 8 PointsPlus (Old plan) Variations:
- No spaghetti? Substitute with your favorite pasta.
- No cream of chicken soup? Substitute cream of mushroom or celery or lowfat sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt.
- No cheddar cheese? Substitute whatever cheese you have on hand.
- More vegetables? I think the addition of chopped cooked mushrooms, cauliflower and corn could all work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
More Weight Watchers Friendly Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
If you love this lighter take on pasta comfort food, you might also enjoy some of my other WW-friendly pasta favorites.
- This Mediterranean pasta with chicken is light and flavorful, with olives, tomatoes, and feta bringing a fresh twist to dinner.
- For something heartier, try this sausage pasta with veggies. It’s filled with colorful vegetables for a satisfying yet healthy meal.
- And if you’re in the mood for baked pasta, this zucchini and cottage cheese pasta casserole is protein-packed, filling, and perfect for family dinners.
FAQs About Chicken Spaghetti
Can you freeze chicken spaghetti casserole?
Yes! Assemble the casserole, cover tightly with foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding about 15–20 minutes to the cooking time.
What’s the best pasta to use for chicken spaghetti?
Classic spaghetti works best, but you can use any pasta shape you have on hand, like penne or rotini. Whole wheat or high-protein pasta also work well.
How do you reheat chicken spaghetti without drying it out?
Cover with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. For single servings, add a splash of milk or broth and reheat gently in the microwave (affiliate link).
Want More Easy WW-Friendly Comfort Food Recipes?
If you love cozy recipes like this Pioneer Woman Chicken Spaghetti Made Lighter you’ll find even more WW-friendly comfort food favorites in my Ultimate eCookbook Bundle.
It’s packed with simple, family-tested recipes designed to make healthy eating both easier and more enjoyable.
How many points per serving would this be on Purple if I used whole wheat spaghetti?
According to the WW APP this would be 5SP per serving on Purple with whole wheat spaghetti. ~Martha
Thanks for this lighter version and adapting to a smaller casserole size. I love that you have included some extra hints on changing it up. My family loved this recipe.
A great substitute for the original recipe???
This is so delicious!
I’ve been so hungry for spaghetti & was excited to try this recipe…I used the Ronzoni Whole Grain Spaghetti which tasted great. My problem is when putting this recipe into the WW recipe calculator I came up with oodles too many points. I did change the servings to 6 (rather than 4) still came up with 10 points (Green) which was so disappointing to me. I baked it in an 11×7″ pan, it looked really pretty and bubbly but it just lacked something. If I make it again (probably won’t cuz of the points) I’d add garlic and more onion/roasted read bell pepper. Just needs more flavor. I do appreciate your help Martha and look forward to trying more recipes to aide in my healthy weight reduction plan!
Enjoyed new recipe. Thank you.
Had a hard time showing restraint. Absolutely comfort.. Thank you
This recipe is amazing. I do think I used too much spaghetti tho. Not sure how to measure it. It says 1 1/2 cups dry spaghetti. How did you measure? Thank you for all of your recipes. I use them regularly.
Hi Barb,it says 1-1/2 cups dry spaghetti broken into 2-inch pieces. I broke up several strands of dry spaghetti at a time and placed them in a measuring cup. Just kept breaking them up until I had 1-1/2 cups. Hope this helps. So happy to hear that you use my recipes regularly. Thanks for letting me know! ~Martha
Thank you so much! This recipe of PW’s is one of our favorites! Can’t wait to try it, but I already know I’m going to love it! We change up our recipes too, to make them healthier, lower calorie, lower fat, etc..
Thanks a bunch!
If you used whole wheat pasta, wouldn’t that drop the points for the purple plan?
Yes, Tamra, whole wheat pasta is 0 points on the purple plan. ~martha