Homemade Chicken Spaghetti – Spend With Pennies

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:

1. Boil the spaghetti until it is al dente
2. 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).
3. Stir in the pasta, chicken, and tomatoes and place in a greased casserole dish.
4. 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:

1. Sautee red peppers and onions.
2. 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.
3. 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.)
4. 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