This chicken spaghetti is a creamy, cheesy comfort food that is baked until bubbly. It’s an easy casserole that comes together fast, with enough to feed a crowd.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Creamy, cheesy, and cozy with sharp cheddar flavor, tender chicken, and tomatoes that add brightness without overpowering the sauce.
- Recommended Tools: A 9×13 casserole dish and a box grater make prep quick and the sauce extra smooth.
- Prep Tip: Don’t overcook the pasta; it’ll cook more in the oven as the casserole bakes.
- Freezer Meal: This recipe makes a great freezer meal either as individual servings or a whole casserole.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Use cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken) to make this easy. You can also use leftovers or make some shredded chicken.
- Pasta: Any pasta works, but long noodles hold the sauce best.
- Onion/Garlic: Use fresh if possible. In a pinch, swap fresh with 1 teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Rotel: Lightly drain the Rotel tomatoes to avoid a watery bake. For a milder dish, use petite diced tomatoes.
- Bell Pepper: Adds flavor and a little sweetness.
- Cream: Half and half or light cream makes the sauce creamy without being too rich. Milk can be used, but the sauce will be more watery.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese brings the best flavor. A blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack will make for extra melt.
Variations
- Add-Ins: Add sauteed mushrooms, corn, or stir in some spinach at the end.
- Heat Level: Want to tame the heat? Use plain diced tomatoes and a pinch of paprika instead of chilies.
- Topping: For an extra golden top, sprinkle it with extra Parmesan.
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti
- Cook spaghetti just to al dente and drain.
- Make the homemade sauce and mix in Parmesan and some cheddar.
- Stir in chicken, tomatoes, and spaghetti (full recipe below).
- Spread in a greased dish, top with remaining cheddar, and bake.
Store, Freeze, and Reheat Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. It can also be frozen, before or after baking, for 4 months in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
To reheat, microwave with a splash of milk or broth and cover to prevent drying. It can also be reheated in the oven at 350°F, covered until hot, then uncovered briefly to refresh the cheesy top.
Favorite Pasta Casseroles
Did you enjoy this Chicken Spaghetti Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 (14 ounce) can canned diced tomatoes with chilies such as Rotel, or petite diced tomatoes, lightly drained
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half or light cream
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the spaghetti al dente in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain well, do not rinse.
- Meanwhile, to make the sauce, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until tender. Stir in the flour and Italian seasoning and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add the broth and half and half, a bit at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Bring to a boil and let boil 1 minute or until thick and bubbly.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper.
- Combine spaghetti, chicken, cream sauce, and canned tomatoes. Mix well. Spread in baking dish.
- Top with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Video
Notes
- Pasta: Don’t overcook the pasta, it will cook more as it bakes.
- Cheese: Pre-shredded cheese works in this recipe, but shredding your own makes for a smoother sauce. Sharp cheddar adds the best flavor.
- To Make a Shortcut Sauce: Cook the vegetables (onion, garlic, bell pepper) as directed. Add ¾ pound cubed Velveeta cheese, 10 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup, and drained Rotel tomatoes. Stir until melted. Skip the salt and add ½ teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Chicken, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This recipe is amazing! I added Zucchini, peas, carrots, corn, fresh thyme, oregano, and rosemary. It came out incredible!
Yummy!
Such a great recipe and even better food!
I don’t rate recipes very much but I thought I should with this one! I always make as stated with the homemade cream sauce. Always turns out delish! Thanks for a great one!
Thanks, Katie! So happy you enjoyed it.
You mention adding cream cheese when describing the two recipes. which recipe or both and when do you add it? possibly to replace the light cream?
Hi Deborah, you can use cream cheese to create a thicker sauce but adding it in step 2 with the broth.
We loved the chicken spaghetti! I was wondering what to do with two chicken breast and you solved the problem. Great comfort food dish for a Sunday afternoon Football watching day! Thank you so much! Really good !
Hi Holly, I’m looking forward to making this recipe and I see that you mention cream cheese makes for a thicker sauce. I checked three times and it is not listed in the ingredients or when to add it. What can you tell me? Thx so much. Love your recipes!!
Hi Claire, you can add cream cheese for a thicker sauce in step 2 when stirring in the broth and cream.
I used a half of a poblano instead of the green pepper and tomatoes with green chilies. This had a nice kick. I think it could have used a little more cream and less cheddar to make it slightly more creamy.
Delicious! I added some zucchini from my garden and used an artisan black peppercorn cheddar that I happened to have on hand. A salad and some homemade sourdough rounded out this cozy and easy meal! And the leftovers are just as delicious!
Can you prepare this ahead of time then keep in fridge to pop in oven after you get home?
That should work well, Laura!
Delicious recipe! Love the flavor of the homemade sauce. Entered into the September Cooking Challenge!
My very 1st time making chicken spaghetti & it was a hit I also use your buttermilk biscuits recipe whenever I make them. They are a hit as well also. Next I’ll try your tuna casserole recipe. I’m sure that’ll be a hit as well!!
After I made the sauce I realized it desperately needed flavor, so I modified the seasonings and added some of my own: 2 tsp of italian seasoning, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp minced onion, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp of ground mustard. I probably should’ve added an additional teaspoon of ground mustard – it needed more tang. 1 tsp paprika and 1/4 or 1/2 tsp cayenne would also do nicely here.
Also – just use the whole freaking box of spaghetti. I found myself wishing I had.
Thanks for sharing your alterations!
I didn’t see the recipe for making the sauce from scratch. I have all the ingredients and don’t even know how to prepare it. Very disappointing
The full recipe can be found by scrolling towards the bottom of the post or by using the jump to recipe button at the top. All instructions on how to prepare the ingredients can be found there.
Delish!!! only change I made was adding some red pepper that I needed to use up. Easy and delish! I’ll be making again and sharing.
Family ate it up! Easy dinner, would make it again.
So yummy! Hubby went back for thirds!
Hi Holly! This looks like a great recipe, but I have a question. What, exactly, is light cream?
Here in Alberta, Canada, we have whipping cream, or half and half, including a reduced fat version of the hall and half.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Half and half or the reduced fat half and half will work just fine!
Made this and it’s delicious. I put my own twist on it tho. We love Mexican so I added a can of green chilli peppers and 1 1/2 tbsp of spend with Pennie’s taco seasoning. Yummy. Served it with swp cheese toast and corn on cob.
An absolute hit with my family! We made a double recipe for leftovers, which were equally delicious the next day!