Nothing gets my family to the table faster than my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe! It’s all the yummiest parts of ooey-gooey pasta recipes and hearty chicken recipes with a zesty Mexican twist.
Who can say no to a chicken spaghetti recipes with three types of cheese plus a crunchy breadcrumb topping? Lucky for you, chicken pasta recipes also feeds a small army — it’s so delicious, you’ll be ladling out seconds all night!
Want all the secrets on how to make this cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe? Let’s dive in!
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What I Love About Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Recipe
Well, mainly I love the empty plates after my family eats their fill! But I adore my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe because it’s:
- A casserole! One full meal in one dish.
- Filling, hearty, satisfying
- Storage-friendly
- Leftover King!
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Recipe Notes
You may think all chicken spaghetti casserole is the same — dump in noodles, sauce, and chicken, and bake. Well, you’re sort of right! And sort of wrong. That’s why I’m here to make sure you get the yummies chicken spaghetti bake possible.
And if it seems overwhelming, it’s important to note that I call this my easy cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe! Don’t let this recipe fool you. It’s a simple, one I promise!
Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients Notes
Cheese, please! One of the reasons my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe goes over so well is the supporting ingredient of CHEESE! I use American, cream cheese, and sharp cheddar, but since this is a chicken spaghetti with Rotel recipe, I love swapping for Mexican cheeses. Experiment! There are so many zesty options.
Breaking Chicken: Always wonder if you’re breaking down the rotisserie in the best way? Time for a crash course! And if you’re still feeling intimidated by our rotisserie baked friends, you can always turn this into chicken breast spaghetti — just fully cook a chicken breast and chop it up.
What’s in a Crumb: No breadcrumbs? No problem! There is an almost endless array of breadcrumb alternatives. Crunched up pretzels, chips, crackers, even nuts! Sometimes I “accidentally” forget to buy breadcrumbs so just I can try one of these other tasty options.
Oil + Pasta: I grew up adding oil to my pasta cooking water. Surprise — that’s actually wrong! For my cheesy chicken spaghetti with Rotel, I started excluding the oil and found that the noodles actually soak up the sauce much better. Oil creates a coat around the pasta that makes the sauce run off. Who knew?
Spaghetti Storing Tips
You’ve made my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe. You’ve fed your family. And now — you still have half a casserole left! What should you do? Let me soothe your spaghetti stress!
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! Noodles can be frozen — but be warned that they will lose their structure over time. I recommend only freezing casserole dishes like my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe for up to three months.
If you know you’ll be freezing your casserole, you can always exclude the pasta, and mix in cooked pasta after you thaw. It won’t quite be a casserole, but it’ll still have all the ooey-gooey cheese flavor! Plus, your pasta will have all of its original structure.
Make Ahead Tips
My cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe is set up to be a make-ahead star’s dream. It comes in three stages: noodles, sauce, and baking.
The best time-saving trick is to make the sauce ahead. You can store it in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze your noodle-free sauce for up to six months!
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
I love how my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe tastes the next day! There’s something magical that happens when the noodles get all cozy down in the cheese and sauce.
But be careful! I recommend only storing any leftovers in the fridge for up to five days. After that, the noodles become more glue-like than is edible, and you risk bacteria growth. Definitely not the kind of ooey-gooey you want!
Chicken Spaghetti Recipe Variations
Did your family rave over my cheesy chicken spaghetti? Want more chicken spaghetti recipe to grace your dinner table? Read on!
What Other Baked Spaghetti Can I Make?
The world of baked spaghetti recipes is vast and delicious! One of my all-time favorites is baked spaghetti with cream cheese — do I really need to say why? The cream cheese gives it such deep, rich flavor!
Another go-to is chicken spaghetti with Velveeta and cream of mushroom soup. The recipe is basically in the name! You can’t get any easier.
Can I Make This In An Instant Pot Instead?
I love making Instant Pot spaghetti! Toss-and-forget-it is my favorite weeknight meal method. And what’s better than instant pot spaghetti and meatballs? Whether you make the meatballs yourself or use frozen, the outcome is delicious, and it pairs wonderfully with toasted garlic bread!
Can I Use Crockpot Instead?
When can you not use a Crockpot, honestly? They’re so handy! Cheesy chicken spaghetti crockpot style takes an already crowd-pleasing dinner and makes it even easier. Plus, Crock pot spaghetti always makes the whole house smell like spices and cheese. Yum!
Can I Make This With Mexican Twist?
The Rotel tomatoes and chiles in this recipe give my cheesy chicken spaghetti a hint of Mexican spaghetti, but to really punch up that flavor, taco spaghetti is where it’s at!
Still not enough Mexican pizzazz? You need my chicken fajita pasta. Each bite is loaded with cumin-cheese-chicken bliss.
What Other Type Of Pasta Can I Use In This Recipe?
Don’t feel limited by the “spaghetti” in my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe! I love swapping out the noodles to get different texture profiles. Chicken tortellini is always delicious and adds an extra hearty burst.
Chicken fettuccine gives noodles with a stronger structure, which helps them hold up to the heavy cream sauce. Or if you want something entirely new, chicken alfredo stuffed shells are a treat that brings a fancy twist to your dinner. Go wild!
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 4 cups milk
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel with green chili, drained well
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (8-ounce) block American cheese cut into cubes
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 rotisserie chicken shredded
Topping
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted
- 2 cups panko
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Prepare pasta, in well-salted water, according to package instructions. Drain pasta and transfer to another bowl; set aside.
- Add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Whisk in flour, chili powder, cumin, and coriander then continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute or until spices become fragrant. Remove skillet from heat and slowly whisk in milk. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in well-drained Rotel, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, American cheese, cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sharp cheese. Cook until cheeses are melted. Stir in shredded chicken.
- Add sauce to pasta pot and mix with spaghetti until noodles are all well coated in sauce. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- For the topping, use a small skillet to melt butter. Add panko and oregano, allowing the bread crumbs to brown slightly. Once cooled, sprinkle panko over the top of spaghetti, then bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle top with chopped cilantro and serve.
Nutrition
More Spaghetti Recipes
Need more spaghetti recipes in your life? Of course, you do! Whoever has enough spaghetti?
- Italian Spaghetti – An original for a reason!
- Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe – The age-old pairing.
- Spaghetti Casserole – Familiar flavors with an oven-baked warmth.
- Spaghetti Pie – Pie? Yes, pie!
- Million Dollar Spaghetti – It’s worth every penny!
Conclusion
My cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe is a gateway into the wonderful world of spaghetti casseroles. I hope it’s inspired you to branch out and try the tummy-filling goodness of noodles and cheese and oven-baked magic!
What’s your favorite part of my cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe? Let me know in the comments!
M says
October 13, 2019 at 4:46 pmYummmmmy!!