Monterey Chicken Casserole is a creamy spaghetti bake of cooked chicken, spinach, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, garlic and Monterey Jack, with crispy French fried onions stirred in and sprinkled on top. It takes about 15 minutes of prep, bakes uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes in a 9×13-inch dish, and serves 8.
How to make it: Cook and drain the spaghetti. Stir the chicken, soup, sour cream, drained spinach, garlic, half the cheese and half the onions together in a large bowl, fold in the spaghetti and spread it in the dish. Top with the rest of the cheese and onions and bake at 350°F until bubbly, golden and 165°F in the center.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crunchy topping: French fried onions bake golden on top.
- Uses cooked chicken: a rotisserie chicken gives you the 4 cups.
- Spinach in every bite: a package of frozen spinach goes right into the sauce.
- Feeds 8: a full 9×13 dish.
What Is a Monterey Chicken Casserole?
The name covers a family of creamy chicken bakes that always share the same core: cooked chicken, a creamy soup and sour cream sauce, spinach, Monterey Jack cheese and French fried onions. What changes is the base. This recipe uses spaghetti; others use rigatoni, cooked rice or even pieces of canned biscuit. The cheese and onions are split between the filling and the top, so there’s flavor all the way through and a golden crust.
Ingredient Notes
Spaghetti: 12 ounces, dried. Linguine or fettuccine work too.
Cooked chicken: 4 cups, chopped. Rotisserie chicken works well.
Sour cream: one 16-ounce container.
Cream of chicken soup: two 10.5-ounce cans. Unsalted soup keeps the salt in check, but regular works too.
Frozen spinach: one 10-ounce package, thawed and drained very well.
Monterey Jack: 2 cups, shredded, divided.
Garlic: 2 cloves, minced.
French fried onions: one 6-ounce can, divided.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti
- 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
- 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) cream of chicken soup
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (6 ounces) French fried onions, divided
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
How to Make Monterey Chicken Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain it.
3. Mix the filling. In a large bowl combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, drained spinach, 1 cup of the Monterey Jack, the garlic and half of the French fried onions.
4. Add the spaghetti. Stir in the cooked spaghetti, then pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
5. Add the topping. Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and the remaining French fried onions over the top.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly, the onions are golden brown and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
Tips for the Best Monterey Chicken Casserole
- Squeeze the spinach dry. Thaw the frozen spinach and drain it very well before it goes in the bowl.
- Split the cheese and onions. Half goes into the filling and half on top, so you get flavor throughout and a golden crust.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. It bakes again for 40 minutes or more. A quick rinse under cool water after draining keeps it firm.
- Watch the onions. If they’re browning too fast, save half of the topping onions and add them for the last 10 minutes.
- Use a thermometer. Bubbling and golden onions are good signs, but the center should reach 165°F.
Variations
- Fresh spinach: use about 4 cups of fresh baby spinach, finely chopped, instead of frozen.
- Rigatoni: swap the spaghetti for a 16-ounce box of rigatoni, and stir a splash of the pasta water into the filling.
- Rice: use cooked rice in place of the pasta for a Monterey chicken and rice casserole.
- Less cheese: 1 cup of Monterey Jack in all, half inside and half on top.
- More seasoning: add a teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder to the filling.
- Garnish: finish with a little chopped parsley.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: Assemble the casserole and refrigerate it, or freeze it. From the refrigerator, it will need a few extra minutes in the oven. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator, not on the counter, then bake until the center reaches 165°F.
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for 3 to 4 months. The creamy sauce may change texture a little after thawing.
Reheating: Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with a green vegetable like roasted asparagus and carrots or a simple salad. For more creamy chicken bakes, try Ritz cracker chicken casserole, cheesy sour cream chicken casserole, million dollar chicken casserole, chicken bacon spinach penne or chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in a Monterey Jack cheese chicken casserole?
Cooked chicken, spaghetti, condensed chicken soup, a tub of sour cream, frozen spinach, Monterey Jack, garlic and French fried onions.
Can you give me an easy recipe for Monterey chicken?
Mix cooked chicken, soup, sour cream, spinach, garlic, half the cheese and half the onions with cooked spaghetti, top with the rest and bake at 350°F until 165°F in the center.
Can I use fresh spinach?
Yes. About 4 cups of fresh baby spinach, finely chopped, can replace the frozen package.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble it and refrigerate it, or freeze it and thaw it in the refrigerator. Bake until the center reaches 165°F.
Final Notes
Grab a rotisserie chicken and a bag of spinach, and dinner is mostly stirring. If you try the rice version, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Monterey Chicken Casserole
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti linguine or fettuccine also work
- 4 cups cooked chicken chopped; rotisserie chicken works
- 1 container sour cream 16 ounces
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces each; unsalted, or regular
- 1 package frozen spinach 10 ounces, thawed and drained
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded, divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can French fried onions 6 ounces, divided
- nonstick cooking spray for the pan
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain it.
- In a large bowl combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, drained spinach, 1 cup of the Monterey Jack, the garlic and half of the French fried onions.
- Stir in the cooked spaghetti, then pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and the remaining French fried onions over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly, the onions are golden brown and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
