Chicken Spaghetti Casserole is a baked pasta dish of thin spaghetti, cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, diced red and green bell peppers and onion, seasoned with seasoned salt, black pepper and cayenne, mixed with sharp cheddar and topped with more cheddar. It bakes covered in a 9×13-inch dish for 45 minutes and serves 8. A rotisserie chicken makes it even quicker.
How to make it: Cook the spaghetti just to al dente, rinse it with cool water and toss it with a little olive oil. Mix it in a large bowl with the chicken, soup, peppers, onion, broth, seasonings and 2 cups of the cheddar. Spread it in a greased 9×13-inch dish, top with the rest of the cheese, cover and bake at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F. Let it stand 5 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses cooked chicken: leftover or rotisserie chicken works perfectly.
- One bowl to mix: everything is tossed together, then baked.
- Feeds a crowd: a full pound of pasta and a 9×13 dish serve 8.
- Make ahead: assemble it up to 2 days early and bake when you need it.
Ingredient Notes
Thin spaghetti: 1 pound. You can break it into 2-inch pieces before cooking so it’s easier to mix and serve.
Cooked chicken: 2 cups, diced or shredded. A shredded rotisserie chicken works well.
Cream of chicken soup: two 10.5-ounce cans of condensed soup, undiluted.
Peppers and onion: half a green bell pepper and half a red bell pepper, finely diced, and half a small onion, finely minced.
Chicken broth: 1 cup, to loosen the mix.
Seasonings: 1 tablespoon of seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. That’s a fair amount of heat; see the tips below for a milder version.
Sharp cheddar: 3 cups, shredded. Two cups go into the mix and the rest goes on top.
Olive oil: a little, drizzled over the drained pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin spaghetti
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded (a rotisserie chicken works)
- 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 small onion, finely minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- Olive oil, a little, for the drained pasta
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti to al dente following the package directions, and do not overcook it. Drain it in a colander, rinse with cool water and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.
3. Chop the vegetables. While the pasta cooks, finely dice the green and red bell peppers and finely mince the onion.
4. Mix. In a large bowl combine the pasta, chicken, cream of chicken soup, peppers and onion, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne, chicken broth and 2 cups of the cheese. Toss until well mixed.
5. Fill the dish. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the spaghetti mixture, spread it evenly and top with the remaining cheese.
6. Cover and bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
7. Rest and serve. Let the casserole stand 5 minutes before serving.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Chicken spaghetti is simple, but a few slips can spoil it:
- Overcooking the pasta. Cook the spaghetti only to al dente. It bakes for another 45 minutes in the oven.
- Letting the pasta clump. Rinse it with cool water after draining and toss it with a little olive oil so the strands don’t stick together.
- A mix that’s too thick. If it looks stiff when you toss it, add a little more chicken broth.
- Putting all the cheese on top. Stir 2 cups of the cheddar into the mix so it runs all the way through, and save the last cup for the top.
- Baking it uncovered. Keep it covered with foil. If you do bake it uncovered and the top browns too fast, lay foil over it.
- Guessing when it’s done. Bubbling cheese is a good sign, but the center should read 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Cutting it right away. Give it 5 minutes on the counter before serving.
How to Add More Flavor
There’s no single trick, but a few choices make a difference. The seasoned salt, black pepper and cayenne carry most of the flavor, along with the peppers and onion. You can also cook your own chicken and boil the spaghetti in the same broth, saving 2 cups of that broth for the mix. A small jar of diced pimentos adds color.
For less heat, cut the cayenne to 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon and the seasoned salt to 1 teaspoon.
Variations
- Cream of mushroom soup: use it in place of the cream of chicken soup, or one can of each.
- Pimentos: stir in a drained 4-ounce jar of diced pimentos.
- Chicken thighs: simmer 8 chicken thighs for about 40 minutes, then pick off the meat and discard the skin and bones. Cook chicken to 165°F.
- Two cheeses and sour cream: mix in 1 cup of sour cream and use mozzarella along with the cheddar.
Make Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Assemble the casserole, cover it and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before baking. A cold dish needs longer in the oven, so bake until the center reaches 165°F.
Freezer: Cover the assembled casserole and freeze it for up to 3 to 4 months. A casserole baked from frozen takes about one and a half times as long; check for 165°F. Cream-based sauces can change texture a little after freezing.
Leftovers: Refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s above 90°F) in shallow covered containers and eat within 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F, adding a splash of broth if it looks dry. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker. Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with cheesy garlic breadsticks and a vegetable like roasted asparagus and carrots. For more pasta and chicken bakes, try chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake, Ritz cracker chicken casserole or million dollar spaghetti casserole. Prefer the slow cooker? Make creamy crockpot chicken spaghetti.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making chicken spaghetti?
Overcooking the pasta, letting it clump, baking it uncovered so the top overbrowns, and judging doneness by color instead of checking the center for 165°F.
How do you make chicken spaghetti more flavorful?
Season it with seasoned salt, black pepper and cayenne, use both red and green bell peppers and onion, and cook the spaghetti in chicken broth if you make your own chicken.
Can I make chicken spaghetti casserole ahead?
Yes. Assemble it, cover it and refrigerate up to 2 days, then bake until the center reaches 165°F.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, for up to 3 to 4 months. Bake from frozen, allowing about one and a half times as long, until the center reaches 165°F.
Final Notes
Pick up a rotisserie chicken on the way home and this is in the oven in about 20 minutes. If you try it with pimentos, tell me in the comments how you liked it.
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 pound thin spaghetti
- 2 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded; a shredded rotisserie chicken works
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces each, undiluted
- 1/2 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 onion small; finely minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided: 2 cups in the mix, the rest on top
- olive oil a little, drizzled over the drained pasta
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the spaghetti to al dente following the package directions, and do not overcook it. Drain it in a colander, rinse with cool water and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.
- While the pasta cooks, finely dice the green and red bell peppers and finely mince the onion.
- In a large bowl combine the pasta, chicken, cream of chicken soup, peppers and onion, seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne, chicken broth and 2 cups of the cheese. Toss until well mixed.
- Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the spaghetti mixture, spread it evenly and top with the remaining cheese.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the casserole stand 5 minutes before serving.
