Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

a dish of spaghetti and meatballs in a baking dish.

4.47 from 117 votes

Indulge in this delightful Chicken Spaghetti, a belly-warming baked casserole that's easy to whip up for a quick weeknight dinner. This is the ultimate comfort food!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Topping

2 cups breadcrumbs or crushed crackers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (¼ stick)
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup shredded cheese such as Cheddar, Mexican, Gruyere or a blend

For the Casserole

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
32 ounces chicken broth or stock (1 carton)
1¾ cups water
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
16 ounces dry spaghetti broken into thirds (1 box)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil plus more for garnish
10 ounces diced tomatoes and green chilies (1 can)
10 ounces cream of mushroom soup (1 can)
4 cups shredded cooked chicken rotisserie is fine
1¼ cup shredded cheese such as Cheddar, Mexican, Gruyere or a blend

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare the crumb topping: Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined. Set aside.
2 cups breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cup shredded cheese
Add the oil and onion to a large Dutch oven. Set the pot over medium heat and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and has softened.
2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ yellow onion
Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring often.
2 cloves garlic
Add the chicken broth and deglaze (click for how-to) the pan.
32 ounces chicken broth or stock
Add the water, salt, pepper, stir and bring to a boil.
1¾ cups water, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Add the dry spaghetti (broken into thirds), reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the spaghetti to al dente (according to package directions).
16 ounces dry spaghetti
Add the basil, tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, chicken, and 1¼ cups cheese.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 10 ounces diced tomatoes and green chilies, 10 ounces cream of mushroom soup, 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1¼ cup shredded cheese
Bring the mixture just to a low boil and remove it from the heat.
Pour the chicken spaghetti into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the top.
Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, or until hot throughout and cheese is melted. If the cheese is browning too quickly, tent with sprayed aluminum foil.
Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish with fresh chopped basil if desired.

Video

Notes

You can use wholewheat pasta. Just make sure you allow a bit of extra time for it to cook to make sure the pasta is done.
You can pretty much use any vegetable you want. You'll want to add harder vegetables (think root veggies like carrots and parsnips) earlier on with the onions.
For extra spice use a spicy cheese blend like habanero cheddar.
If the casserole is browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil.

Storage: Store chicken spaghetti tightly wrapped in aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Nutrition