Chicken Spaghetti

Simplify the madness of midweek meals with cheesy creamy chicken spaghetti that marries America’s favorite flavors to get dinner on the table fast.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken and pasta recipes, Chicken Pasta Recipes, Chicken Spaghetti, cream based pasta recipes, creamy pasta recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 953kcal

Author Kathleen

In a large pot, cook pasta (16 ounces) in well-salted water, according to package instructions just until al dente. Drain. Dry out the pot to use for the sauce.
While the pasta drains, add cream of chicken soup (1 can), cream of mushroom soup (1 can), drained tomatoes (1 can), Velveeta (1 pound), salt (1/2 teaspoon), pepper (1/4 teaspoon), and 1/4 cup milk to the dried pasta pot.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often so the sauce doesn't burn until the Velveeta is melted and sauce is smooth. Add more milk, if needed, to thin the sauce a bit.
Add cooked pasta and chicken (3 cups) and combine until evenly coated. Serve.

Sauce – This creamy, cheesy sauce can burn easily. Go low and slow with the sauce stirring it constantly to prevent burning. It will thicken as it cools. Thin with extra milk as needed.
Tomatoes – I like to use a couple of cans of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies or Rotel. Just make sure they’re drained well so you don’t dilute the sauce. Feel free to use a mild or spicy version based on your own taste, of course. If your kids object to the tomatoes, you, of course, can omit them completely.
Pasta – Salt your pasta water generously while it’s boiling. I typically use 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons per 4 quarts of water. The pasta inevitably absorbs some of the salted water as it cooks, totally enhancing the flavor of your dish. Here’s what Bon Appetit has to say about it.
- Don’t rinse the cooked pasta because the leftover starch will help the cheesy sauce coat the noodles.
- This recipe works with any kind of pasta. You can substitute regular spaghetti, linguini, or fettuccini, and even something small like elbows will do in a pinch.
Chicken- Rotisserie chicken is a fabulous option for this dish, though any cooked chicken will do. You can bake or boil chicken breasts or thighs. Just season with salt and pepper. It’s also a great way to use up leftover chicken!