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 very good! I made a double batch and substituted the chili tomatoes for fire roasted tomatoes. I also used amish noodles, instead of spaghetti noodles, as this is what was on hand in the pantry. This recipe turned out delicious and my family said that they liked this recipe more than regular spaghetti. I will definitely make again soon and freeze for a special evening.
can I please see a video so that I can have a clear picture of what I will be making
To see the video of this recipe Mamokete, you can click the little video button in the header or scroll down under the instructions. I hope this helps!
I just made this and really like the flavors! Lunch for tomorrow .
delicious…. just made this for Christmas must have again
Your spagetti chicken recipe with cream sauce is very confusing
You said creamed soup then you say more about broth and light cream,
So misleading.
There are two sauces, one from scratch and one quick shortcut that uses creamed soup included in the write up for those that are short on time.
This is delicious! I will definitely be making this again.
I made this exactly how Holly recommended. Perfect! Delicious!
Good recipe. I used the quick version of the recipe but used fresh garlic instead of the garlic powder and used sharp cheddar instead of velveta. A bit of Cajun season to give it a bit of heat. Whole family loved!
Good recipe. I used the quick version of the recipe but used fresh garlic instead of the garlic powder and used sharp cheddar instead of velveta. A bit of Cajun season to give it a bit of heat. Whole family loved!
I like the spaghetti but it was missing something has anyone ever put a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken in it ?
Haven’t tried this yet but definitely plan to. Just curious, is it ready to serve without baking or it needs to thicken etc? Thanks
It could certainly be eaten before baking, you might like to cook the pasta in the sauce for a few minutes to blend the flavors. During baking the sauce does thicken a little bit, the flavors blend a bit more, and you get a bit flavor from the browning.
Hi, what is “light cream”?
Hi Mellissa, please take a look at this post, which will help with making light cream (also known as half and half) from heavy cream. Enjoy the recipe!
We altered this a bit, using an instant pot instead of pan and oven. We cooked the chicken breasts with the tomatoes and veg, then took them out and shredded them. Then we added the flour, cream (used a full cup), and cheeses, and put the chicken back in with cooked macaroni noodles. Could probably have even cooked the noodles in the IP, might try that next time. Great flavor and texture, 5-star comfort food for sure.
My husband and I really enjoyed this!!! It was simple to make and it was better the next day. I will be making it again!!!
I would like to use flat part of the chicken wing
Hi Celeste, we use cooked shredded chicken for this recipe, but you can use whichever type of cooked chicken you prefer.
Love to make and take to family reunions and to church homecoming. This dish is even better the next day!!!
What kind of canned tomatoes did you use for the chicken spaghetti recipe ?
Thank you
Terri
Hi Terri, we used diced tomatoes for this recipe.
Your recipe lists light cream. I’m not familiar with this. Is heavy whipping cream okay to use? Or could I substitute whole milk?
You can mix heavy cream with milk to make half and half and use it in this recipe.
I have always had good luck with your recipes they are always good. I especially like that you have the “jump to recipe” button. So much easier to get to a recipe.
I realise you cater for the USA market. I love to cook and find your recipes of interest, but why so much cheese and even cream? Surely this is unhealthy.
Hi Conrad, we have some great spaghetti recipes without cream, like this baked spaghetti or spaghetti pie. Or if you’d like to avoid cheese and cream we do have this yummy classic spaghetti and meatballs recipe. If you search our site there are lots of other recipes without cream or cheese to try, but we do definitely have a love for creamy cheesy dishes!
Because the picture looks so much like crabmeat.. I’m drying to do this with lump crabmeat… has anyone tried???
We have never tried this recipe with crabmeat but we would love to hear how it turns out for you!
I agree, it does look like crab meat, please tell us how it is if you make it.