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.
Looks Yummy
I am so excited to be able to receive your recipes. My family will appreciate it
Gonna make the chicken spaghetti see how it goes
Great Recipe
Loved this recipe. Making it again today. Adding mushrooms and zucchini. Since it has so much cheese in it I’m going to try either panko crumbs on top or maybe crushed potato chips. Cause I like my crunchy stuff.
I read from my Aunts subscriptions of great recipes and wanted to follow on my own.
Thank you for the great ideas in this recipe. I found it to ‘wet’, so I cooked and added in the rest of the noodles. I used whole wheat noodles, so did that make a difference? I added more cheese, 3 slices of American and a binder and 5bslices of provolone for taste. I liked the idea of a chicken broth based sauce, great idea as I am not if fan of canned soup. Thank you again for the great ideas!
We have not tried this recipe with whole wheat noodles so I can’t say for sure, but I am glad you enjoyed it still Mary!
Can I use canned chicken for the recipe?
Hi Ch, we haven’t tried using canned chicken in this recipe but I think it would work. You just won’t have bigger chunks of chicken, it will be more like chicken flakes. Let us know how it turns out! :)
yes! I use the canned chicken all the time and it taste great
je vais essayez vos recette
I hope you enjoy it Denise!
I can’t wait to try one these delicious recipes.
Is it light whipping cream or light sour cream?
Hi Tracy, it would be light whipping cream for this recipe, not sour cream.
Can you use soir cream or wont be the same?
Sour cream will change the recipe Kim. We use light cream.
The chicken spaghetti looks totally delicious!!
Love this recipe! Sometimes I will add in additional veggies that I have on hand such as mushroom or red Peppers . I do have a question about the spaghetti: is it 8 ounces dried, Or 8 ounces once Cooked. I have just been eyeballing it. Thanks!
This would be 8oz dry.
Love all your recipes! Can’t wait to start cooking them!!!
Made this for my family tonight for dinner – it was great! I love the fact that we make our own roux in this recipe and stay away from the canned soup! I used Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2 as that is what I had on hand and it still turned out yummy and creamy! Thank you for the recipe!
I’ll try this recipe. Its good.
Looks great
I made your recipe yesterday and it is so good.
Better today than yesterday.
I love chicken spaghetti and that was my 1st time to make it.
Thanks again
Very good
Absolutely delicious. The whole family loved it. I do think mine required more liquid and maybe even more diced tomatoes as I used a whole bag of spaghetti instead of measuring. Not sure how you measure spaghetti for family of four?