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.
Great recipe
Thanks Cheryl!
Love your recipes
Thanks Chris!
Pretty good dish. I left the tomatoes out though. Not a fan of tomatoes in my chicken spaghetti.
Glad you enjoyed it Kiara!
Im using the recipe for a class project for my cooking class. it says it serves 6. i have 11 in my class counting the teacher. Would i be bale to double the recipe? and if i did. Would i also double the sauce?
Hi Eva, if doubling I would double the sauce as well to keep it creamy and delicious! Good luck with your class project!
Do we bake covered or uncovered?
This is baked uncovered.
My favorite go to company recipe. I double the recipe because everyone wants seconds. I assemble it in the morning and refrigerate till time to bake. It reheats beautifully in the microwave if by chance any leftover. Don’t let the simple name fool you it’s 5 stars. Thanks!
So happy to hear that George! Thanks for the tips.
Yummy stuff
Thanks Rhonda!
Yum!!!
Delicious!! I really like the fact it doesn’t have cream of mushroom soup in it. I used heavy whipping cream because it’s what I had on hand and mild rotel. Really good and easy recipe! Thanks for sharing with us=) Will definitely check out your other recipes!!
So happy you liked it Lauren!
This recipe is so good! I made it last night, following the recipe exactly as written, and it turned out great. Thank you!
Success! So happy to hear that Christopher. Glad you enjoyed it.
I love recipes.
Thank you Casonya!
I used linguine noodles and two cans of chicken. This was a HUGE hit and froze really well. Will make this again!
So happy to hear that Jacqueline! Enjoy.
This is SSSSOOOOOOO good! My husband raved about it so much at work the next day that his coworkers asked for the recipe! Thank you so much!
Thanks so much Julia! You have made my day!
I love the recipes and will try some of them
Thanks Sharon! Let us know which ones you love!
I want to try this..and then I will let you know how much my family love’s it!
Can’t wait to hear Jonah! Hope they love it.
made this tonight…had every ingredient on hand and let me say…WoW! sooo good and pretty simple too. family went back for seconds and a couple of thirds. have 1 little square left over. wish i saw the review abt adding a bit of crushed red pepper. thanks for a great recipe :)
So happy your family loved it the first…second…and third time! :) That’s so awesome Jenna!
Yummy
Thanks Erica!
Can I use Half and Half cream? It’s 10%.
Yes, that’ll work perfectly.
I really like your recipes they r really helpful
Many thanks Dwana!
Delicious!! I made this recipe for the first time to take to our church luncheon and it was a big hit with everyone, including my husband and myself. My neighbor asked for the recipe, she said it was a “keeper”. I plan on making it again soon.
Can’t wait to look through the rest of your recipes
So happy to hear that Rose! Glad everyone enjoyed it.