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.
About how much salt and pepper do you use? I always have a hard time guessing especially on the salt. Thank you!
Hi Mary, we use about ⅛ to ¼ tsp of each.
This was delicious. It thickens up overnight What do you recommend for reheating it so that it is just like when one makes it fresh?
I would suggest adding a little bit of milk.
I made this today – it was soo good! My fiancé and I loved it – we’ll be having it again for sure, especially this fall and winter!
Yummy recipe! Several at my church are making meals for a friend that has just finished her last chemo. We got suggestions and one of her favorite meals is chicken spaghetti, so I searched and found this one with 5-star reviews. I tried it for my husband and I first to see how it was and it was delish!
I did the following tweaks: added 1 stalk of thin sliced celery (I use in many of my recipes & it’s a secret ingredient), didn’t have a green pepper, so used a yellow bell pepper, added about 1/4 cup of some cilantro (cut/slice the top leaves, it is another secret ingredient in many dishes).
This recipe is delicious and versatile. My kids love it with the hearty richness of the soup/Velveeta sauce whereas my husband and I prefer the lighter sauce made with cream. Pure comfort food! One time making this recipe I noticed I had some leftover bacon (I know, how is that possible?) so I cooked it, then diced it and threw it in. Wow! It changed the taste by adding a slight smokiness to the cheese sauce. Delicious! Another time, I had sliced black olives and threw them in-it added color and a different dimension to the dish. This is what I love about this recipe…it is amazing following the recipe but it is also very welcoming to personal additions! My personal favorite is the original recipe but I love how easily it can be tweaked for personal tastes.
This recipe is the best of all the chicken spaghetti recipes. I specifically looked for one that did not rely on cream of soup, nor sour cream, nor cream cheese. This is truly from scratch and tastes like it. Five stars.
This is fantastic! I have tried other casseroles that have a cheese sauce type base, but I always thought they were bland and uninspiring. Made this last night for supper. I cooked fresh chicken breasts, grated my own cheese, etc. I like a little less cheese on top and more in the sauce, so I probably used 1/2 cup cheddar for the top. I shared with my sister and her husband and by the time we all ate, there was maybe one serving left. This was no bland casserole. It was delicious! The tomatoes added a nice touch. my brother in law called me before we could finish eating, and said I could make that again, anytime. Thanks so much for this recipe. Thinking of trying it with shrimp.
It did take a little bit longer than I like to make spaghetti, but it’s an easy recipe to follow. I used freshly grated cheeses too which might’ve made a tastier difference. Not to mention I have three teens plus a husband who doesn’t love to eat chicken and everyone loved this!!!
Would you tell me please what is light cream, and would heavy cream work? TIA
Hi Pamela, 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!
Super tasty! My family really liked it! It’s nice to have another way to serve chicken! I didn’t have a can of diced tomatoes so I just diced a couple fresh ones! I also added a bit of Cajun seasoning for a little more flavour kick.
Loved it! I used mozzarella and Parmesan. Thank you for the share
Greatness!
followed the “from scratch ” recipe exactly and it was delicious!! Will definitely be making this again! My whole family loved it. So glad you included your Italian seasoning recipe! perfect!!
Two questions!
I want to add a vegetable to it to save myself time, do you think a bag of frozen peas would work well? Or should I do canned peas?
And just to confirm, 8 oz spaghetti is about half of a standard box?
Thanks!
Hi Giovanna, I haven’t tried peas but I think frozen peas will work just fine. And yes, you will want 8 oz of uncooked spaghetti which is half of a standard 1 pound box.
Doesn’t seem like very many noodles. I couldn’t even find 8 oz package.
Sounds delish, trying this weekend!
Often spaghetti comes in a 16 oz package and I use half of one in this recipe. I can’t wait for you to try it Heidi, it’s delicious!
I’ve never heard of this, but I certainly will be making it soon.
I can’t wait for you to try it Linda!
Instead of cream of mushroom you could use alfredo sauce.
Can you make in advance, keep in the fridge overnight, and then cook for dinner the next day?
Yes, that will work just fine Rebecca! We would let the casserole sit out on the counter while the oven preheats then bake according to the recipe instructions. Enjoy!
Delicious! Thank you Holly! I am partially disabled and can’t stand on my feet for long periods. This recipe worked great.
I used chicken breasts fried with extra spices (garlic plus, season salt, garlic powder etc) and cut into bite size pieces. I never really measure a whole lot. I go by my taste buds LOL but I followed the recipe pretty close. I did make a little extra sauce. It didn’t look like it was going to be enough. Maybe that has something to do with my non measuring eyeballing technique LOL.
Anyhow it was very very tasty. It is different from most spaghetti casseroles where it just tastes like spaghetti and meat sauce baked in a pan. Its a great way to use up extra spaghetti as well. I did a conversion on google and it recommends using about 5 cups cooked.
Quick dumb question. How do I post a picture with my review?
I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe Tania! To share a picture, you can post it on Instagram and tag us at @spendpennies.
I had some leftover grilled chicken I needed to use so this was the recipe I settled on. I added a half cup of prepared pimento cheese that I also needed to use and blended cheddar and mozzarella on top. My husband loved it!… will definitely make it again!