Easy Dinner Idea: Cheesy Skillet Chicken Spaghetti

Easy Dinner Idea: Cheesy Skillet Chicken Spaghetti 

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

This Easy Dinner Idea: Cheesy Skillet Chicken Spaghetti is the perfect thing when you are looking for a comforting, hearty meal but you don’t have a ton of cooking time available. Tender chicken breast, red bell pepper, onions and thin spaghetti are tossed together with a rich, cheesy sauce for the ultimate comfort food. It is perfect for the entire family on those busy nights when ordering takeout is so tempting. Serve with a green salad and some garlic bread or focaccia and you have a complete meal ready in no time. 

Some of the best features of this recipe:

Quick! This meal can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

Need something quicker? Use rotisserie chicken and pre-shredded cheese and save yourself time. Leftover chicken works as well. Every minute counts on a weeknight!

A super easy roux plus cream, chicken broth, and cheddar cheese blend together to create a rich, creamy sauce.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, the remainder of the meal can be prepared in one skillet meaning easy clean up.

As always, Easy Dinner Idea: Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti is easy to prepare with no complicated techniques, no special equipment, and with ingredients that are easily found in any grocery store. 

Chicken is such a great ingredient to build a meal around. I absolutely love these meals: Creamy Chicken Marsala (also a one skillet meal), Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi & Spinach, and Easy One Skillet Creamy Tuscan Chicken Dinner.

Recipe Ingredients

1/2 lb pasta (spaghetti/thin spaghetti/thin linguine)

1 lb thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see ingredient notes for substitutions)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 red bell pepper

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 tsp smoked paprika

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

​1 cup reserved pasta water

Salt

Helpful Tools

• Large skillet
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Large pot/stock pot
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Whisk/wooden spoon/wooden spatula
• Box grater

Ingredient Notes

If you can’t find thin sliced boneless chicken breasts, you can use regular chicken breasts and very carefully slice them horizontally. I place one hand of top and slice through with a sharp knife, always pushing slightly downwards so the knife doesn’t come up through the chicken and cut me.

In a hurry? Use the meat from a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own. You can also used cubed or cut up leftover chicken.

When using grated cheddar, it is always better to use a box grater and do it yourself. There is an anti-caking agent on pre-shredded cheese that keeps it from melting as well as we’re looking for. That said, if you want to save time, it is OK to use pre-shredded cheddar.

That said, I used a special type of cheese, Kraft Creamy Melt Cheddar. It is pre-shredded but contains a bit of cream cheese that makes it melt and blend absolutely beautifully into our cheese sauce.

Crushed red pepper flakes can really add a lot of heat to a dish. We like ours on the mild side, but you can add a bit more if you prefer a spicier meal.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cook the pasta (1/2 of a 1 lb box) according to package directions. SET ASIDE ONE CUP OF PASTA WATER BEFORE draining the pasta when cooked.

2. Finely chop one red bell pepper and 1/2 of a medium yellow onion. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Lightly salt both sides of the boneless chicken breasts.

5. Carefully add the chicken to the skillet and cook turning occasionally until golden brown on both sides and cook through, about 7 minutes.

6. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

7. If the skillet is dry, add the additional tbsp of olive oil.

8. Sauté the onions and peppers together over medium-high heat until they are soft and the onions translucent, about 5 minutes.

9. Create your roux. Add 3 tbsp of butter to the skillet with the vegetables.

10. Sprinkle the 3 tbsp of all purpose flour over the melted butter and veggies, stirring constantly.

11. When the flour is fully incorporated, add the heavy cream to the skillet in a steady stream. Stir continually, lowering the heat to medium.

12. Slowly add in the chicken broth and stir to combine.

13. Sprinkle the cheese over the ingredients in the skillet and stir continually until it is completely melted.

14. Add the smoked paprika and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and stir. 

15. Reduce the temperature to low.

16. Cut the chicken into small pieces and add to the cheese sauce. Stir to combine.

17. Add the drained, cooked spaghetti to the chicken and cheese sauce. 

18. Gently toss to coat the spaghetti in the sauce.

19. Add pasta water, a little bit at a time, until the sauce has the desired thickness/texture. Stir after each addition.

20. Salt to taste.

Check out the printable recipe card, below, for step-by-step directions on how to make Easy Dinner Idea: Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Tips & Tricks

Not sure your chicken is cooked? Make a small cut and make sure it is not pink inside. You can also use an instant-read thermometer. Chicken breasts are cooked at 165 degrees F.

Want to know more about how to make a roux for a cheese sauce? Check out these step-by-step instructions, with video, of how to get it done.

Sauce too thin? Add a touch more flour. Be sure to stir it in completely.

Sauce too thick? Add reserved pasta water and stir until you have the desired texture. As always, add in small increments. You can always add more, but you can’t take out too much.

In the mood for more cheesy goodness? Next time try Easy Classic Sloppy Joe Casserole, a family favorite in our house. 

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