Chicken Spaghetti

Make this classic chicken spaghetti with Rotel tomatoes, shredded chicken, and flavorful seasonings baked in a rich and cheesy cream sauce. It’s easy and family-friendly!

 

This baked chicken spaghetti is an easy dinner recipe packed with juicy chicken pieces and tender pasta in a rich, flavorful cream sauce with Rotel tomatoes. If your family loves wholesome pasta dinners like spaghetti with meat sauce and creamy chicken pasta, then I encourage you to give this baked chicken spaghetti a try! It’s effortless to make and packs so much flavor into one casserole dish. This chicken spaghetti recipe is perfect for weeknights, and it’s make-ahead friendly.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

• Rich and creamy. The sauce is easy to make and so creamy, filled with savory garlic, ripe tomatoes, and zesty Italian seasoning. 
• Extra cheesy. Kids and adults alike love this recipe, and I suspect it has something to do with the copious amounts of melty cheese! Of course, you can adapt the amount of cheese depending on how indulgent you’re feeling.
• Make-ahead-friendly. Prepare your chicken spaghetti the day before and refrigerate it so that it’s ready to bake for dinner the following day. This easy chicken pasta recipe stores and freezes well, so you can get a headstart on this week’s dinner!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are some notes on the ingredients you’ll need to make a delicious baked chicken spaghetti. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below the post for the full amounts and recipe details.

• Spaghetti – Regular or whole wheat dry spaghetti. Another long pasta, like linguine or fettuccine, will also work.
• Chicken – You’ll need cooked shredded chicken. Use leftover chicken breast or you can buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it.
• Butter
• Onion and Garlic – Finely chopped yellow onion and freshly minced garlic. You can adapt the amount of garlic to taste.
• Flour
• Broth – I recommend low-sodium chicken broth, chicken stock, or vegetable stock.
• Heavy Cream – You can also use milk or half-and-half.
• Seasoning – Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper to taste. 
• Canned Tomatoes – Rotel tomatoes are a classic choice, but feel free to use any brand of diced tomatoes.
• Cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese, or another melty variety. Grate the cheese fresh from the block so that it melts smoothly.

How to Make Chicken Spaghetti

With just 10 minutes of prep, you can have this chicken spaghetti in the oven and on the way to your dinner table.

• Cook the pasta. Start by boiling and draining the spaghetti. Since you’ll be baking the pasta afterward, cook it a minute or two shorter than the suggested time on the package.
• Sauté. Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in a skillet with butter. Stir in the flour and let it cook off to make a “roux”. This creates the base for the cream sauce.

• Make the sauce. Pour in your chicken broth and heavy cream, and sprinkle in the Italian seasoning. Whisk everything together and then season with salt and pepper as the sauce thickens.
• Combine. Next, stir in canned tomatoes, shredded chicken, and about half of the grated cheese. Lastly, mix in the cooked spaghetti.

• Bake. Transfer the chicken pasta to a large casserole dish and sprinkle over the remaining shredded cheese. Bake the spaghetti at 350ºF for 25 minutes until it’s melty and bubbly. 
• Serve! Take your chicken spaghetti out of the oven and dig in. See the section below for tasty serving ideas.

Tips and Variations

Here are some bonus tips, plus a couple of easy ways to adapt this chicken spaghetti recipe:

• Don’t overcook the pasta. Make sure to time the pasta correctly. It should be slightly undercooked, so you’ll want to remove the spaghetti from the heat and drain it about one minute before it reaches the recommended cooking time.
• Add more veggies. Plenty of fresh and frozen vegetables would taste amazing in this recipe! Add sautéed diced zucchini, red bell peppers, and broccoli, or try a frozen veggie medley with sweet corn, green beans, and diced carrots. Greens like kale, spinach, and peas are also good options.
• More add-ins. Try a variation of Tuscan chicken pasta with mushrooms and diced San Marzano tomatoes. Or, add cooked crispy bacon, spicy Italian sausage, or chopped chorizo. You can also make a variation of lemon chicken with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and capers.

What to Serve With Chicken Spaghetti

This creamy chicken spaghetti goes well with a side of crunchy tossed salad or fresh tomato mozzarella salad and hot-from-the-oven garlic bread (or, make garlic bread in the air fryer!). We love pairing this pasta dish with snappy sautéed asparagus or tender roasted green beans to round out a family meal.

Can I Prepare This Chicken Pasta Ahead?

Yes! This recipe can be meal-prepped 1-2 days in advance. Prepare the chicken spaghetti as directed and transfer the pasta to the casserole dish. Instead of baking, allow the spaghetti to cool completely, then wrap it tightly to store in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake the following day, unwrap the pasta and bake as directed. Note that you may need to add an extra few minutes to the baking time if the casserole is cold from the fridge.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Fridge. Store any leftover chicken spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave in increments, or on the stovetop until heated through.
• Freeze. Store the baked and cooled spaghetti airtight and keep it frozen for up to 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating. 

More Chicken Pasta Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Pasta
• Enchilada Pasta Casserole
• Cajun Chicken Alfredo
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Continue to Content

Yield: 5 servings

Chicken Spaghetti

Print

Cheesy chicken spaghetti is an easy casserole recipe packed with juicy shredded chicken and tender spaghetti in a rich, flavorful cream sauce with Rotel tomatoes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked spaghetti
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 (10oz) can Rotel tomatoes
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta 1 minute short of the package directions. Drain.
3. Meanwhile in a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until they soften. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until you can start to smell it. 
4. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until no white streaks remain. Whisk in chicken broth and heavy cream until smooth. Season with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. The mixture will start to thicken in about 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour in the tomatoes, and add the cooked chicken and half of the cheddar cheese into the sauce mixture. Mix until well combined. Add cooked pasta and mix until everything is evenly blended. 
6. Pour into a 13x9-inch casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is nice and hot.
7. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Yield

5

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 591Total Fat 42gSaturated Fat 24gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 150mgSodium 501mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 30g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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