Learn how to make The Best Chicken Spaghetti! This easy casserole is delicious, and it's perfect for a weeknight dinner! This recipe combines pasta and shredded chicken along with lots of vegetables baked in a creamy sauce for lots of flavor and texture!
Chicken spaghetti is a classic dish that combines pasta and shredded chicken with lots of vegetables. It's usually baked in a casserole dish, and it's a great option for a weeknight dinner because it's easy to make and can be easily reheated!
Why is this the best chicken spaghetti recipe?
This chicken spaghetti recipe is the best because it's packed with flavor and has a great balance of ingredients. The chicken is moist and tender, the pasta is cooked perfectly, and the vegetables come together to create a delicious and healthy dish!
You use pre-cooked chicken, which makes this dinner even easier! This chicken spaghetti is also great for meal prep because you can make it ahead of time and reheat it throughout the week.
Serve this easy casserole with a side of bread and a green salad for a complete meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This easy dinner has lots of flavors and textures coming from the chicken, pasta, vegetables, and creamy sauce.
- You can change up the dish to your liking by using your favorite pasta or adding different kinds of vegetables.
- The protein makes it satisfying while the vegetables add nutrients, making it a well-rounded meal.
- The entire dish can be made from start to finish in just 45 minutes or less!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cooked Spaghetti - Helps add bulk and starch to the dish while binding everything together.
- Vegetables - Minced garlic and pepper add garden fresh taste to the dish.
- Butter - Used to cook the vegetables to give them a rich buttery flavor as they soften.
- Seasonings - A mix of Italian seasoning, paprika, pepper, and salt balance and enhance the natural flavors of the dish.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup & Sour Cream - Gives this casserole a creamy base with mushroom flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese - Helps bind the ingredients together and adds a melty cheese flavor.
- Rotel - Adds a balance of acidity from the tomatoes as well a kick of heat from the green chilies.
- Cooked Chicken - Adds satisfying protein to the dish.
How To Make Chicken Spaghetti
Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Prepare the pasta: Cook pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain well and set aside.
Saute the vegetables: In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter and cook onions, garlic, and bell pepper until tender. This will take about 5-6 minutes.
Create the sauce: To the pot, add Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper, salt, cream of mushroom soup, and 1¼ cups of cheese. Cook until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat.
Assemble and bake: Add cooked spaghetti, sour cream, Rotel tomatoes, and shredded chicken to the sauce. Stir until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Save time by getting your cooked chicken from a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
- If you don’t have Rotel tomatoes, you can use canned diced tomatoes instead.
- Its important to make sure that your pasta is slightly undercooked. This will ensure that it doesn’t get overcooked and mushy when it bakes in the oven.
- Let the casserole cool slightly before serving as the sauce will be very hot.
Variations
- Use other types of meat: Instead of chicken breast, try using ground beef, turkey, or pork sausage.
- Add more vegetables: Mix in some chopped broccoli, zucchini, or mushrooms.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta and chicken broth instead of cream of mushroom soup.
- Change up the cheese: Use Monterey Jack, Colby-Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese for a little bit of a spicy kick.
- Add some heat: Add a diced jalapeño pepper or red pepper flakes to the sauce for some spice.
- Use other creamed soup: Great options include cream of chicken or cream of celery soup.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Once cooled, chicken spaghetti can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheating: Chicken spaghetti can be reheated in the microwave or oven. To reheat in the microwave, place a single serving on a plate and heat for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place chicken spaghetti in an oven-safe dish to reheat in the oven. Heat for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Freezing: To freeze chicken spaghetti, let it cool completely, then place it in a freezer-safe dish or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat until warm throughout.
FAQ
Chicken spaghetti is typically served with a side of bread and a green salad. You could add roasted vegetables to the dish or serve it over a bed of rice.
You can do a few things to prevent spaghetti from being mushy. First, make sure you don't overcook the pasta. It should be cooked al dente, which means it should be firm but not hard. Second, be sure to drain the pasta well after cooking. Finally, don't add too much sauce to the pasta, as this can make it mushy.
The best cheese for chicken spaghetti is cheddar cheese. However, you could also use mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Colby cheese. If you want a little bit of a kick, you could also use pepper jack cheese.
More Easier Dinner Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
- Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken
- Easy Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Honey Teriyaki Chicken
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The Best Chicken Spaghetti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti (cooked)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup green bell pepper (diced)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 (14 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2½ cups cheddar cheese (shredded and divided)
- 1 (14 oz) rotel tomatoes with green chilies
- 2½ cups chicken (cooked and shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook pasta al dente. Drain well and set aside
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter and cook onions, garlic, and bell pepper until tender. about 5-6 minutes. Then, add Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper, salt, cream of mushroom soup, and 1¼ cups of cheese. Cook until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat.
- Add spaghetti, sour cream, Rotel tomatoes, and chicken to the sauce. Stir until well combined.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbling.
Notes
- To make this dish more kid-friendly or spice free. You can ditch the Rotel diced tomatoes with diced green chilies and substitute them with diced tomatoes.
- You can use any type of precooked chicken, such as a rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts. I cooked 2 chicken breasts by seasoning them with ½ tsp Italian season, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp onion powder. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, turning halfway through. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cube-cooked chicken.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
DAWN
Amazingly delicious!!!
Thank you for sharing!
Ryan Allen
I am so glad that you liked it