Healthy Chicken Spaghetti is an updated version of my favorite cheesy chicken spaghetti from childhood, and SO delicious! Instead of using canned cream of mushroom, I make an easy homemade version, and mix it with sautéed veggies, whole-wheat spaghetti, plenty of shredded chicken, and of course, lots of cheese. The perfect back-to-school meal!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x9 square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season with salt. It should taste as salty as the sea.
Heat a large skillet to a medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. Add peppers, onions, mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sweat vegetables until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes.
Whisk in flour, cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and SLOWLY, whisk in chicken stock, making sure there are no lumps. Whisk in milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, about 7-8 minutes. Set aside.
While the sauce thickens, cook the pasta until just under aldente. (It will continue to cook later.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta and remaining water.
Add the spaghetti back to the pot along with the sauce, pimentos, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, garlic powder, reserved pasta water, and chicken. Use tongs to toss the ingedients until combined. The cheese should be completely melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and pasta is hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Let it set for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Can also be made in a 9x12 baking dish if you want more crusty noodles on the outside.