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.
If I assemble and freeze before baking, do I need to thaw overnight in fridge before baking or can I put it oven frozen at 375 degrees?
We recommend letting this dish thaw before cooking for even cooking.
This is the best recipe for chicken spaghetti!! I’m not a fan of creamed soup so I am so glad I found this recipe!
I made this dish for a group of 20. It was well liked and several of the group asked for the recipe. I didn’t use chilies and I added peas for additional color.
I served this to 20 guests and they loved it. Several of them asked for your recipe! I didn’t use chilies and had chicken thighs. I also added peas to the mix.
I made this for dinner last night and my husband had thirds!! It’s really delicious. Only change I made was to leave out most of the tomatoes (my husband isn’t too fond of them) and used a red bell pepper instead of green (because that’s what I had). I also made a crumb topping (instead of the shredded cheddar called for) with melted butter, panko and grated parmesan. The crunchy topping was delicious. I’ll be making this again and again!
Oh how much I loved and enjoyed this meal.
I followed recipe as is only cooking my chicken breast in a skillet and chopping up in small pieces afterwards.
Thank you!!!
The best chicken spaghetti that we have had! Sharing the recipe with my whole family.
Thank you for sharing, I’m so glad you loved it!
I’ve made this recipe so many times and I love it! The recipe is easy to follow and the fact that it doesn’t contain canned soup is a plus. The taste is homemade goodness. Plus, if you want to bump up the heat a little, add in some pepper flakes or the hot Rotel. For us, we like it with just the regular Rotel. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe. Add in what you want – mushrooms etc. I’ve made it with rigatoni (my favorite) and with spaghetti. I’ve even used heavy cream. I’ve put the Rotel in right after the cream sauce and chicken broth. It doesn’t affect the taste. Just have fun with it! Thank you for sharing it with us!
in your “notes” you mention additional things you can add.
are these in lieu of anything or in addition to the recipe??
Great question Kathleen! That would be in place of the homemade sauce.
Oh my GOODNESS! I always love Holly’s recipes but this one is in My Favorites file. I have a hard time leaving a recipe alone. I think of things that I want to add but this only got a little extra garlic (bc we like it so much) and a new Trader Joe’s spice blend that I recently got. It’s called 21 Seasoning Salute. I just sprinkled some on top of the cheese before going in the oven so it could blend with the melting cheese. After his first bite my husband asked, “When are you going to make it again?” He suggested tomorrow! This spaghetti is easy to make and tastes absolutely incredible. Thank you for the excellent recipe Holly!! I’ve made Chicken Spaghetti many times but this is the best recipe I’ve ever used. In My Faves & marked the best ever!
I’m so glad your family loved this recipe, it’s a long time favorite of ours too!! I have the 21 Seasoning Salute as well, I’ll have to try a sprinkle next time I make it!
The 21 Seasoning is fantastic and it’s NOT loaded with salt. Next time I will mix into ingredients though. Hope you like it in this yummy dish. It’s a great spice blend.
I can’t wait to try this. It sounds delicious and I love your detailed and clear directions. You make it easy!
is the 8 oz spaghetti weighed prior to cooking?
Yes, it is weighed dry.
All dish look delicious to eat.
Can I assemble this and refigerate uncooked a day ahead of time?
Yes! This recipe works well prepared ahead of time.
delicious meal! make double the serving for leftovers!
I love looking at your recipes! My living situation right now doesn’t allow me to cook much at all.
I am just wondering if you will start sending groups of recipes? I really enjoyed those!
Hi Deb, to have recipes sent directly to your inbox you can sign up here or scroll down to the bottom of the post and you will see a signup box.
This was delicious! My picky son loved it!
Great recipe, very tasty. We loved it.
Will make this again.
I Loved you recipe! It is the best and so easy to make.
Made this for my family yesterday and they loved it! There’s no leftovers.