Creamy, cozy, and delicious!
This chicken spaghetti recipe combines chicken and spaghetti in a creamy, cheesy sauce and bakes until golden and bubbly.
Make the sauce from scratch or the shortcut version—the choice is yours!
- Flavor: This chicken spaghetti recipe has a creamy cheese sauce with a bit of a Southwestern flair. It’s not spicy—perfect for a family dinner.
- Time-Saving Tip: I’ve included two sauces for this recipe: my favorite from scratch sauce and a shortcut sauce in the recipe notes.
- 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. I’ve included freezing (and baking) instructions below.
Ingredients for Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken – Use cooked chicken—rotisserie chicken makes this easy. You can also use leftovers or bake chicken breasts in the oven.
- Pasta – I use spaghetti noodles, but you can replace them with any variety of long pasta.
- Onion/Garlic – Use fresh if possible. Replace fresh with 1 teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Rotel/Bell Pepper – These also flavor the casserole, and Rotel tomatoes add a bit of freshness.
- Chicken Broth – This is the base of the sauce and adds both flavor and salt—if using low-sodium broth or stock, add extra salt.
- Cream – Half and half or light cream makes the sauce creamy without being too rich.
- Cheese – Both cheddar cheese and Parmesan add flavor to the cheese sauce. Pre-shredded cheese works well in this recipe.
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti (overview)
- Cook pasta and drain.
Quick Tip: Cook al dente (firm) so it doesn’t overcook as it bakes. - Prepare the sauce according to the recipe below.
- Assemble the casserole in a baking dish and top with cheese.
- Bake until bubbly.
Serving Suggestions
Salad: I love to serve this dish with a fresh salad—either green salad or Caesar salad.
Bread: French bread or garlic bread is great to sop up any bits of sauce and help stretch the meal further.
Leftovers and Meal Prep
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- This chicken spaghetti recipe can be frozen before baking for up to 4 months.
- To bake from frozen, cover with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese topping from overcooking and bake at 375°F for about an hour, or until it is piping hot throughout!
Cheers to Chicken Casseroles
Did your family love this Chicken Spaghetti? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Homemade Chicken Spaghetti
This easy cheesy Chicken Spaghetti recipe combines tender chicken and spaghetti in a quick and delicious cheese sauce.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Cook the spaghetti al dente in a large pot 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 can 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.
- 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 3⁄4 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.
Calories: 518 | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 606mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Vitamin C: 18.6mg | Calcium: 425mg | Iron: 2.1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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