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.
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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!