Homemade Chicken Spaghetti is one of those easy, cheesy casserole dishes that is definitely one of our favorite comfort foods!
Tender chicken and pasta are tossed in an easy homemade cheese sauce and set to bake until golden and bubbly!
Serve this with a side of homemade garlic bread and a caesar salad for a perfect meal!
An Easy Casserole
I love this dish because it’s the ultimate comfort food and one that the whole family will agree on.
- This is a simple, filling, and satisfying chicken spaghetti casserole.
- There are two options for the creamy cheesy sauce:
- a homemade from scratch sauce
- OR a shortcut version for busy nights (both are listed below).
- Just like a traditional baked spaghetti casserole, you likely have all of the ingredients on hand!
- Prepping it is easy and even more so if you make it with rotisserie chicken or leftover Oven Baked Chicken Breasts!
Ingredients
CHICKEN: If you are making chicken spaghetti with rotisserie chicken, then there is no need to cook the chicken in advance. Just shred two cups and set aside. If you are using raw chicken breasts, you can make poached or baked chicken breasts (although I usually have a big batch of crock pot shredded chicken in the freezer for recipes like this).
SPAGHETTI: Use any long pasta you have on hand. Cook it al dente (which means firm so it’s just cooked) as it will cook more in the oven as the spaghetti bakes.
SAUCE: We love the from-scratch version of the sauce but if you’re really short on time, I’ve included a shortcut version too. Green or red peppers add flavor while cream cheese helps thicken the sauce. Use a sharp cheddar for the best flavor.
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti
This is an easy chicken spaghetti recipe:
- Boil the spaghetti until it is al dente
- Make the cream sauce (per the recipe below) and cook until thick and bubbly. Add in the cheeses (remove the sauce from the heat before adding the cheese).
- Stir in the pasta, chicken, and tomatoes and place in a greased casserole dish.
- Top with more cheese and bake until bubbly!
Allow the baked chicken spaghetti to rest for five minutes to help the sauce thicken.
Short Cut Chicken Spaghetti Sauce
Short on time? Make a Short Cut Chicken Spaghetti Recipe! Try it with canned cream of mushroom soup, and a can or two of Rotel tomatoes instead! It will still be tasty and satisfying. Be sure to buy the Rotel without lime added!
Here’s a quick and easy shortcut sauce for chicken spaghetti:
- Sautee red peppers and onions.
- Add in one can of cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup) and 3/4 pound diced processed cheese (like Velveeta cheese). Heat until melted and creamy.
- Season with onion and garlic powders and pepper (the Velveeta and soup have plenty of salt already, so you may not need to add any.)
- Continue as directed in the recipe by adding bite-sized pieces of chicken.
What to Serve With Spaghetti Casserole: Serve up whatever your favorites to go along with an Easy Lasagna or Cheesy Chicken Casserole are. For us, that usually means a fresh green salad (or kale salad) and some dinner rolls or biscuits.
Leftovers?
Keep leftovers in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
Can You Freeze Chicken Spaghetti? Chicken spaghetti freezes exceptionally well, so go ahead and make it in advance. Once you place it in the casserole dish, you don’t need to bake it first, just freeze it for up to four months.
Here’s a little trick: Line your dish with parchment paper and let it freeze solid, then transfer it to a large freezer bag. That way you don’t have to tie up your casserole dish for months. The chicken spaghetti is already pre-formed for the dish, so all you have to do is slide it back in when you’re ready to reheat.
You can cook this directly from frozen (but be careful, most glass dishes cannot go from freezer to oven). Cover it in foil to prevent the cheese topping from overcooking. Cook at 375°F for about an hour, or until it is piping hot throughout!
Baked chicken spaghetti is rich and super filling. It doesn’t need many fussy side dishes. I like to serve it with breadsticks or garlic bread, and a cucumber salad or fresh green salad dressed with vinaigrette for some color and crunch.
More Family Favorite Casseroles
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole – A fun twist on a favorite Italian meal!
- Easy Tuna Casserole – Classic and simple.
- Hamburger Casserole – Zesty beef and noodles!
- Salsa Chicken Casserole – Chicken and rice with lots of flavors!
- Eggplant Parmesan– Satisfying and delicious!
- Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole – Personal favorite recipe!
Homemade Chicken Spaghetti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti cooked
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup light cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- salt and pepper
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes drained or tomatoes with chilis
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook spaghetti al dente. Drain well.
- Cook onion, garlic, and bell pepper in butter until tender. Add flour and seasonings. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in broth and cream a little bit at a time until smooth. Cook until thick and bubbly.
- Remove from heat, add parmesan cheese and half the cheddar cheese. Mix until smooth and melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine spaghetti, chicken, cream sauce, and canned tomatoes. Mix well. Spread in a greased 9x13 dish.
- Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Video
Notes
- Don't overcook the pasta, it'll cook more as it bakes.
- Pre-shredded cheese does work in this recipe but shredding your own makes for a smoother sauce.
- Sharp cheddar adds the best flavor.
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.