Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

Name: Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 oz spaghetti, broken in half; 4 cups cooked shredded chicken; 1 can (10 oz) Ro-Tel, undrained; 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup; 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup chicken broth; 3 cups shredded cheddar-jack; 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp pepper

Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 35 min Total: 55 min Servings: 8

Creamy baked chicken spaghetti casserole

Chicken spaghetti is the Southern potluck heavyweight: spaghetti and shredded chicken baked in a creamy, gently spicy cheese sauce with Ro-Tel doing the seasoning heavy-lifting. It feeds a crowd from one bird and one box of pasta, holds warm for hours, and reheats better than it has any right to. This is the dish neighbors bring when a new baby arrives, and after one bite you understand why the tradition survives. Cook the spaghetti in broth if you have it — it's the quiet upgrade that makes people ask for the recipe.

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Ingredients

12 oz spaghetti, broken in half
4 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 can (10 oz) Ro-Tel, undrained
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 cups shredded cheddar-jack
1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F. Boil the spaghetti 2 minutes shy of package time; drain.
In the empty pot, stir both soups, Ro-Tel, sour cream, broth, and seasonings. Fold in the chicken, spaghetti, and 2 cups of cheese.
Transfer to a greased 9x13 and top with the last cup of cheese.
Bake uncovered 30–35 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned.
Rest 5–10 minutes; it slices into proper squares once it settles.

Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitute	Notes
Spaghetti	Angel hair	Cook it barely 3 minutes; it's delicate but traditional in some families
Ro-Tel	Diced tomatoes + small can green chiles	Identical result
Cream soups	Homemade white sauce (3 cups) + bouillon	For the canned-soup averse
Cheddar-jack	Velveeta (12 oz, cubed into the hot pasta)	The original 1970s texture

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Add a splash of broth or milk when reheating — the pasta drinks the sauce overnight.

One of the best freezer casseroles: assemble unbaked, freeze up to 3 months, bake covered from thawed plus 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use rotisserie chicken?

It's the intended shortcut — one average rotisserie bird yields the 4 cups this recipe needs.

Is chicken spaghetti spicy?

Original Ro-Tel gives it a gentle warmth kids generally accept. Mild Ro-Tel removes it entirely; hot Ro-Tel plus jalapeño makes the adults happy.

Why is my casserole dry?

It baked uncovered too long or the pasta was fully cooked going in. Undercook the spaghetti and pull the dish when the center just bubbles.

Can I make it on the stovetop?

Yes — use fully cooked spaghetti and stir everything in the pot over low heat until the cheese melts. The bake adds the browned edges, but the stovetop version is 20 minutes flat.