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.
Hello,
Could this be made with shredded jackfruit instead of chicken for vegetarians?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Roisin, but it sounds good! If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I used jackfruit (cooked with the onion and garlic) and it turned out fantastic
I tried this recipe and it was amazing! I am addicted to it. I make it as much as possible. Brought it to work for potluck lunch . Everyone loved it.
I have tried many recipes for Chicken Spaghetti, and your recipe is top notch!!! When my “Picky Eater” Husband gave it five stars, now that’s something! PS – I love all of your recipes!
Thank you!!!! We multiplied this by 8, didn’t bake it, and took it downtown in a crock pot to pass out to homeless people. The car smelled so good!! We ate it for dinner when we got home. Everyone loved it. Thank you!!
it absolutely tasted as good as it looked!. I doubled the recipe, worked just fine. I used 1 can mild rotel and 1 can regular fine diced tomatoes. definitely a keeper, repeater recipe. ( sharing the other half with my friend, 100%sure she will love it). thank you again for another outstanding recipe.
one star off because I felt like there was too much Rotel tomatoes in the recipe for my taste. However, it was a good recipe and I really enjoyed it. I am referring all my friends and family to this website.
This a winning recipe when cooked for my family. It never disappoints. Add a fresh green salad, and warm fresh bread. Finish with an ice cream dessert.
My whole family LOVED this recipe which I made for our Mom’s 90th birthday today! I doubled the recipe, made it last night and put in the fridge overnight, and took it out about an hour before baking to come close to room temp. I appreciated the heads-up to prevent dryness, so even used the juice from.the rotisserie chicken. It was very creamy, not dry at all- I think I added a bit morechickenu broth. It wasn’t a hard recipe, but a bit more labor intensive for having to debone and shred the chicken, over an hour and a half to prep, but yummy and so worth the effort! Everyone had seconds, some had thirds! Thanks! I’ll for sure make it over and over!
My family loves it!
I made this Chicken Spaghetti recipe and it was delicious. When I prepared it, I separated it into two pans. I froze the second one for later. We ate it yesterday, OMG it was better than the first pan. I’m guessing because the flavors had time to mix.
Excellent recipe – fun to make!
Really surprised with the high ratings. I made this dish solely on the number of ratings and reviews. I did not check the ingredients. The ‘canned’ rotelle was odd as was the sharp cheddar. The topical cheddar separated. Have made other dishes of this site I enjoyed.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t love this chicken spaghetti as much as we do Denise.
DELICIOUS!!!! I make another recipe like this and this recipe was a lot quicker and better!! Thanks again…. we always look for your recipes because we trust they will be winners!
my family went crazy over this pasta. my 5yr.old and 2 yr. old went crazy over it. Well done. we have it a couple times a month never any left!!!
Made this for dinner last night, and it was absolutely delicious, Holly! Used a red pepper instead of green (hubby doesn’t like green peppers) and a very sharp white cheddar cheese. Thank you for all of your outstanding dishes. You are definitely my “go to” for recipes.
Could this be cooked in an air fryer after assembling, instead of an oven? I would love.to try this recipe, but I am limited to 4 cooking units- crock-pot, electric skillet, flat top griddle,and an air fryer….My air fryer does have a bake setting, though! ☺️
I haven’t tried it but since all elements in the casserole are cooked, it should work. You may need to make ½ recipe to fit it in an air fryer. Let us know how it goes!
One of my families favorite dinners on a cold winter night. I use the whole 16 oz box of spaghetti. All other ingredients remain the same and it is enough for one 9×13 in and one 5×8 in casserole.
love your recipes
Delicious recipe!
Thank you very much for the receipts that you give us.
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them David!