Baked Chicken Spaghetti (with Rotel)

Why you’ll love it

This chicken spaghetti with Rotel tomatoes is just really good family-friendly comfort food. It’s got lots of melty cheddar cheese, making it the ideal chicken casserole for those picky eaters in your life. It also feeds a crowd.

This version is made from scratch and has no canned soup, but it’s still totally simple to throw together (and tastes so much better). Rotisserie chicken saves prep time so that you can get this casserole in the oven fast. This is a wonderful make ahead recipe, too.

What you’ll need

• Spaghetti – the classic pasta variety for this casserole
• Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
• Onion and garlic – use any kind of onion, but we like Vidalia (sweet) onion best. For mincing the garlic, this garlic press makes it simple since you don’t need to peel the cloves.
• Bell pepper – for some crunch! Any color is fine. I chose green.
• Flour – for thickening the sauce
• Chicken broth – to infuse more savory taste
• Heavy cream – to make this casserole extra rich and comforting
• Tomatoes – a can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies provides the perfect kick! It’s not spicy and just has a slight heat in the original variety.
• Chili powder – for a little more warmth and flavor (also not spicy)
• Cheddar – use a good-quality sharp cheddar cheese since it’s a key component. Always grate your own for maximum freshness and quality and since it’ll melt better. I use this grater, and it only takes me a few minutes to grate the 2 cups of it.
• Chicken – pick up a rotisserie chicken for ease, or use up any leftover or Cooked Chicken you have on hand

How to make chicken spaghetti

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Start by boiling the spaghetti. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sauté the onions and bell pepper until softened, then add in the garlic and flour, followed by the chicken broth and cream. Once the flour has completely dissolved, stir in the Rotel tomatoes and chili powder.

Cook for a few minutes until thickened, then stir in the cheddar and cooked chicken along with salt & pepper to taste.

Add the drained spaghetti to a 9×13 baking dish, then toss with the chicken and sauce mixture from the skillet.

Top with the remaining cheddar, and cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes until hot and melty. Broil for a few minutes if desired, and enjoy!

Substitutions and variations

• I’ve only tested this as written, so substitute any ingredients at your own discretion. For example, subbing the cream for milk may yield a thinner sauce that doesn’t work as well and isn’t as rich.
• Original Rotel has a touch of heat, so if you don’t want even a little bit of spice, I’d use Mild Rotel. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or some hot sauce if you do want this to be spicy, however!
• If you don’t have Rotel, sub with regular diced tomatoes and a 4 ounce can of diced green chilies.