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If you’re craving a cozy, cheesy, and downright delicious dinner, this chicken spaghetti casserole is calling your name! Tender chicken, perfectly cooked spaghetti, and a creamy, flavor-packed sauce come together in one easy, crowd-pleasing dish. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug—great for busy weeknights, potlucks, or just when you need a little extra comfort on your plate. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to use up pantry staples and sneak in some veggies without anyone complaining. Get ready to add this to your regular dinner rotation—it’s that good!
Whip up this cozy chicken spaghetti casserole in next to no time. Perfect for those busy weeknights, this dish will deliver seriously satisfying flavor in every forkful.
You might also want to try this cozy baked cream cheese spaghetti, perfectly crispy chicken Milanese, or these delicious chicken parmesan meatballs.
Why You’ll Love It
Tastes so good: With its gooey cheese topping and rich creaminess, this cozy casserole is sure to become a favorite in your recipe rotation.
A breeze to prepare: Once you’ve cooked the spaghetti and sauteed the vegetables, there isn’t much else to do apart from putting everything in a greased baking dish and cooking it in the oven until your kitchen smells heavenly and everyone’s mouth is watering!
Perfect for busy weeknights: This is the kind of dish that is a great pick for hectic evenings when you don’t want to make anything complicated but you still want something delicious on the dinner table.
Chicken and Spaghetti Casserole Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Uncooked spaghetti: Feel free to use any pasta shape you prefer.
Vegetables: Onion, celery and bell pepper add color, crunch and nutrients.
Creamy soup: Choose from cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup.
Rotel tomatoes: Canned tomatoes with diced chilies.
Chicken broth: Adds savory flavor to the sauce.
Chicken: A great way to use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken.
Sour cream: For creaminess and a tasty tang.
Cheese: I like to use cheddar cheese as well as monterey jack cheese.
How to Make Baked Chicken Spaghetti
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook pasta: Cook your spaghetti in salted boiling water, then drain it.
Saute the veggies: Cook the onion, celery and bell pepper in oil in a skillet until softened.
Add more ingredients: Add the soup, Rotel tomatoes, broth, and sour cream, then add the chicken, some of the shredded cheddar and monterey jack, and the noodles, stirring well to mix.
Bake it in the oven: Transfer everything into a prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake until golden brown and bubbling on top.
Serve and enjoy: Let the casserole rest for a few minutes and then sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta, chicken broth and soup. (I love this gluten-free mushroom soup!)
Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is an excellent time-saver because it’s already cooked and packed with flavor. If you prefer, you can cook your own chicken meat and shred it for the casserole.
Canned soup: Try cream of celery soup for a different flavor.
Different vegetables: Feel free to customize the vegetables based on your preferences or what you have on hand. You can add bell peppers, corn, mushrooms or even zucchini to enhance the dish.
Add some heat: If you enjoy a bit of spice, consider adding a diced jalapeño, pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot sauce to the Rotel diced tomatoes mixture. This will give your casserole a nice kick.
Make it creamier: For an extra-creamy texture, stir a dollop of cream cheese or so
Add garlic: Garlic is good in this dish and you can choose from minced fresh garlic or garlic powder.
Use fresh herbs: While parsley is a great garnish, adding fresh thyme or basil to the casserole mixture can also add a fresh burst of flavor.
Serving Suggestions
With a salad on the side: Serve the casserole with a light side salad to balance the richness. A fresh green salad with a tangy vinaigrette complements the creamy casserole nicely. This strawberry fields salad would work or consider a cobb salad (without the chicken) or even this simple iceberg wedge salad.
With other side dishes: Another tasty pairing would be spinach artichoke stuffed mushrooms or garlic green beans. If you don’t mind the extra carbs, crusty bread pairs well because you can use it to mop up every last drop of that creamy sauce!
How to Store Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: Because of the amount of dairy and the likelihood of ingredients separating, I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a warm oven or in the microwave.
Top Tips
Don’t overcook the spaghetti: Cook the spaghetti until it’s just al dente. Since it will bake in the casserole, you don’t want it to get too soft.
Drain the pasta well: Drain it well before adding it to the casserole mixture, to prevent it getting watery.
Layer the cheese: For a gooey, cheesy casserole, layer some cheese into the middle of the casserole along with the topping. This creates a cheesy, melty interior and a crispy, golden top.
Baked Chicken Spaghetti FAQs
Make sure the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted before removing it from the oven. If the top isn’t golden enough, you can broil it for an additional 2 or 3 minutes at the end.
You can prepare the casserole the night before and refrigerate it. When ready to bake, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time to ensure it’s heated through.
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Equipment
- Baking Dish 9 x 13-Inch
- Pot Large
- Skillet Large
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces spaghetti, dried
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- ½ Cup onion, diced
- ½ Cup celery, diced
- ½ Cup bell pepper, diced, red or green
- 2 Cans condensed cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom soup, 10½-Ounce cans
- 1 Can Rotel, tomatoes
- 1 Cup chicken broth
- ½ Cup sour cream
- 3 Cups chicken, cooked and chopped, or Rotisserie chicken
- 1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 Cup monterey jack, or mozzarella cheese, shredded
- parsley, freshly chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking dish.
Prepare the Spaghetti:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Make the Sauce:
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over a medium heat.
- Add the diced onion, celery, and pepper. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
- Add the condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, Rotel, chicken broth, and sour cream to the vegetables. Stir until smooth.
- Add the chopped chicken, and ½ cup of cheddar cheese and ½ cup monterey jack cheese to the sauce mixture. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Now add the noodles and toss to coat.
Bake the Casserole:
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Put the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
Drain the pasta well: Drain it well before adding it to the casserole mixture, to prevent it getting watery.
Layer the cheese: For a gooey, cheesy casserole, layer some cheese into the middle of the casserole along with the topping. This creates a cheesy, melty interior and a crispy, golden top.
Nutrition
Enjoy this creamy, cheesy, and comforting chicken spaghetti casserole that’s perfect for family dinners or potlucks. Perfectly cooked spaghetti pairs beautifully with colorful vegetables, cooked chicken and a creamy, cheesy sauce the whole family will enjoy. It’s a great recipe if you have leftover chicken or a large rotisserie chicken and you’re craving something cozy and flavor-packed.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This casserole was creamy, cheesy, and nostalgic. It tasted like something my family would request on busy weeknights.
So creamy and comforting! My son was asking for it the next day.