Next time try this other easy family favorite, King Ranch Chicken Casserole! Serve either of these weeknight dinner casseroles with a batch of homemade garlic breadsticks!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- 30 minute dinner
- Assemble it ahead of time
- Leftovers are easy to warm up and it freezes like a charm!
There are a few comfort food recipes that have the ability to make you feel like a kid again - pure joy in each bite without worrying about carbs, calories, or salt intake. This cheesy southern classic is one of them - at least for me.
There are times when you want to make every darned thing from scratch - but then there are times when a can of soup is a blessing from heaven.
Gooey cheesy pasta, with tender chicken and plenty of Ro-Tel tomatoes with chiles for flavor- it's a great recipe the whole family will love.
This simple recipe uses cream of chicken soup and a frozen onion and green peppers mix to save time. The diced tomatoes and chiles give it a spicy kick!
It's one of my family's favorite recipes - I hope you love it as much as we do!
Lynn says: "I've been making Chicken Spaghetti for years but this really took it up a notch. Will be using this recipe from now on!"
🧾 Ingredients
- If you like it spicy hot use the hot RoTel version instead of the classic.
- Boneless chicken thighs work as well as boneless chicken breasts if you prefer them.
- If you don't have cream of chicken soup you can use cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, or cream of asparagus soup - they all work well. Or, make a homemade white sauce.
- You can use fresh onions and peppers instead of the frozen ones - just use about ½ cup each and dice them. Be sure to saute before adding to the casserole dish.
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Make it stretch
You can easily make this dish a bit more budget friendly -
- Use more pasta and less chicken
- Use pinto beans with the chicken
- Use pinto beans (or other beans) instead of chicken
- Add broccoli or cauliflower
- Cut back on the cheese
- Use milk instead of cream
🔪 Instructions
Try it once and my easy chicken spaghetti recipe will be on your dinner rotation a lot!
- Break the uncooked spaghetti noodles into 2 inch pieces.
- Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and cook the pasta.
- Meanwhile mix the cream of chicken, the RoTel, and cream cheese in a microwave safe large bowl. Microwave, stirring often, until it's all melted together.
- Stir in the cheese to make a smooth sauce.
- Shred the cooked chicken and set aside.
- Add enough cream to the sauce to make it spoonable but not too thin.
- Stir in the chicken.
- Pour over the spaghetti and stir well.
- Spoon into an oiled casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake.
🥫 Storage
You can assemble chicken spaghetti up to 2 days ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and then slip into the oven when you're ready to eat it. (Take the plastic wrap off before baking.)
Store leftovers in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
To reheat just pop into a 350F oven for about 15 -20 minutes, or microwave until warmed through.
To freeze
Chicken spaghetti freezes like a charm baked or unbaked!!
Cool to room temperature. Cover it with plastic wrap then aluminum foil or put it in a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake from frozen: thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake as directed.
To heat up from frozen thaw overnight in the refrigerator then heat in the microwave or bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Cook your chicken by simmering it in chicken stock to cover. When it's cooked through (165F) remove it and bring the stock back to a boil. Add the spaghetti to the chicken stock with enough water to cover. This gives your casserole even more flavor!
My chicken spaghetti casserole is a little different from the bland recipes you often see. The tomatoes and chiles add a sharp, mildly spicy flavor that cuts the richness of the cheese and creamy sauce and balances it out nicely.
- You can assemble this up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake it.
- Chicken spaghetti is freezer-friendly. It freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Put plastic wrap, parchment paper, or waxed paper over the top before sealing with aluminum foil or the acids from the tomatoes will react with the aluminum and it will taste awful.
- I've made this low carb and keto by using zucchini noodles instead of pasta. Still yummy!
- This is a great way to use leftover chicken!
- Break the spaghetti up in 2 to 3 inch pieces before cooking - it's traditional!
- For best results cook pasta just past done - don't stop at al dente. It will cook more (and soak up more flavor) as it bakes.
- You can use sour cream instead of cream cheese for a lighter, yet still creamy, sauce.
- Some people like to use half or all Velveeta cheese in the sauce instead of the shredded Cheddar.
- Shred the cheese from a block - don't buy pre-shredded. It is dusted with cellulose and doesn't melt as creamy as block cheese.
- Save time by using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken from the store. You've gotta love planned leftovers - it's almost like a free meal!
- You can skip the baking and just mix it all up in a skillet if you like.
- Use one of the Rotel tomatoes variations like fire roasted or extra hot and spicy!
📖 Variations
Chicken spaghetti with the RoTel in it is my favorite but this is a versatile dish with lots of potential variations!
- Turkey, ham, and cooked ground beef are ALL good in this versatile dinner recipe. In fact, it's a great way to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!
- Stir in pimento.
- Saute some bell peppers with the onions.
- Next time try topping with breadcrumbs, crushed tortilla chips, or potato chips for a little added texture and crunch.
- If you want to use a slow cooker you can. I'll add those instructions in the recipe below.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Yes! You can put it all together in your casserole dish then put plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper over the top before sealing with aluminum foil (or the acids from the tomatoes will react with the aluminum and it will taste awful).
Freeze it for up to 3 months. The night before you want to serve it you'll put it in the refrigerator to thaw, then bake as directed in the recipe.
You really only need a salad but these easy drop biscuits are nice, too. If you'd like a hot vegetable then I'd go with green beans.
You can assemble it ahead of time and bake when ready or bake it ahead of time and simply warm it up. This casserole is just so easy to get along with!
As far as I know every southern lady that I've ever met that makes this dish breaks up the spaghetti in thirds before adding it to the boiling water. You don't have to - I think it's tradition. It does make it easier to eat, though.
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🍲 Southern casserole culture
Homemade chicken spaghetti casserole with RoTel is one of my favorites. It's creamy, rich, gooey, and cheesy - everything the ultimate comfort food should be.
This wasn't one of those things that my mom made, though.
This is a recipe that came from one of my neighbors when my kids were growing up -- I guess she took pity on me and my nightly dinners for 10 people or more.
She brought a foil covered pan of this comforting casserole to my door one afternoon when I was SO exhausted, SO ready to quit, and SO full of "woe is me" that I was ready to bust.
It changed my entire day.
It's that simple. One dish of comfort food, one knock at the door at the right time, and someone suddenly has the energy to go on with life. Someone feels cared about.
Isn't that what makes life worth living?
I think so!
This slow cooker chicken and stuffing or Chicken Frito Pie casserole are also great recipes for bringing to someone or to take to a potluck.
Other possibilities?
- Taco Spaghetti is creamy good and all done in one pot.
- Copycat Panera Chicken Tortellini Alfredo is another one pot meal.
- Million Dollar Spaghetti is something like lasagna only so much easier!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake is just so deliciously family friendly!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Southern Chicken Spaghetti with RoTel
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast, or more if desired - boneless, cooked and shredded
- 16 ounces spaghetti, broken in 2-inch pieces
- 21.5 ounces cream of chicken soup, 2 10.75-ounce cans condensed
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes & green chilies
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded - divided use (12 ounces)
- ¼ cup heavy cream, you can use milk if you prefer
- 1 cup peppers and onions mixed
Instructions
- Cook the chicken breast, dice or shred it, and set aside.
- If using fresh onions and peppers saute them until soft.
- Break the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces and cook until tender in boiling, salted water.
- Drain and set aside.
- Mix the soup, RoTel, and cream cheese in a microwave safe dish.
- Heat, stirring every minute, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Stir in 2 cups of the cheese.
- Stir until smooth. You may need to add some milk or cream to thin it down if it seems too thick.
- Stir the chicken into the cheese mixture.
- Stir the pasta, onions and peppers into the chicken and cheese mixture.
- Spoon into a greased casserole dish.
- Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
- You may stop here, cover with plastic wrap then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months or refrigerate for 2 days before baking.
- Bake at 350F 20 minutes or until heated through and the cheese has melted.
- Let stand for 5 minutes or so before serving.
Slow Cooker
- You can leave the chicken breast raw for this version.
- Add all of the ingredients except the spaghetti to a slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- Shred the chicken and add back to the slow cooker.
- Cook the pasta, drain, and add it to the chicken mixture in the slow cooker.
- Cook for another 30 minutes.
Notes
- You can assemble this up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake it.
- This casserole freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Put plastic wrap, parchment, or waxes paper over the top before sealing with aluminum foil or the acids from the tomatoes will react with the aluminum and it will taste awful.
- Break the spaghetti up in 2 to 3 inch pieces before cooking - it's traditional!
- Cook the pasta just until done. It will cook more (and soak up more flavor) as it baked.
- You can skip the baking and just mix it all up in a skillet if you like.
- Turkey, ham, and cooked ground beef are ALL good in this versatile dinner recipe.
- Stir in pimento.
- Saute some Bell peppers with the onions.
- Top with breadcrumbs, crushed tortilla chips, or potato chips.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published August 4, 2020. Last updated Sept 14, 2021 to add video.
Melissa
What type of peppers do you use?
Reana Parker
Cook this for the family and it was great will cook again I have a few picky eaters and this was prefect thanks.. and easy
Susan Larson
Your picture shows Sour Cream, but the recipe only mentions cream or milk...which is it?
Marye
Just below the image it says that there is a typo and the image should say cream cheese not sour cream. The recipe is correct.
JMP
An easy recipe for an evening dinner for my kids and I. I skipped the baking and used a larger deep skillet instead. It came out delicious as all Marye’s recipes do!!! Thank you for making easy and affordable recipes for a single mom of two teenagers!
Much appreciated,
Joan
I just brought this on my summer vacation and boy am I glad I did! This is comfort food at its best and it serves many. There were only three of us so we were very happy to have leftovers. The Ro-Tel tomatoes and chiles definitely bring this up a level. Thank you for sharing and for providing useful tips! It is a keeper and I can’t wait to make it again.
Pat Sever
It makes way more than a 9 x 13 pan. I had to use 2 pans.
Marye
The pan it's shown in in the images is a 9x13 inch pan. I know - I made it and took the picture myself and I don't have any pans bigger than 9x13.
Elizabeth Hanks
I'm the same way. I was glad to find a recipe without it !!! Great recipe ❤️💚
Barbara
Can you use Alfred sauce instead of the cream cheese sauce
Marye
I've never tried - the flavor would be a bit different.
Lynn Heron
I've been making Chicken Spaghetti for years but this really took it up a notch. Will be using this recipe from now on!
Elizabeth
I love chicken spaghetti! Your version is a little different than mine (mine uses Ro-tel and Velveeta, cream of mushroom soup and chicken bouillon powder); I'm looking forward to trying your version! I always have cream cheese and cheddar, colby or longhorn cheese in my fridge...Velveeta is usually a special purchase only when needed for a particular recipe.
Thanks for all your hard work, from a fellow Texan!
Marye
Elizabeth, let me know how you like it. I just really like staying away from Velveeta when I can.