Description
This Southern Chicken Spaghetti with RoTel is a flavorful twist on a classic comfort dish! Tender chicken, spaghetti, and a creamy sauce with a kick of spice from RoTel tomatoes and green chilies come together in this easy casserole. Perfect for a weeknight meal or potluck!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1.5 pounds boneless, cooked, and shredded chicken breast (or more, if desired)
- 16 ounces spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
- 2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (21.5 ounces total)
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes & green chilies (RoTel)
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided (12 ounces)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (or milk)
- 1 cup mixed peppers and onions (sautéed if using fresh)
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Cook and shred the chicken. If using fresh peppers and onions, sauté them until softened. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until tender; drain and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, RoTel, and cream cheese. Heat in the microwave, stirring every minute, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Cheese: Stir in 2 cups of the shredded Cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little milk or cream.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir the shredded chicken, cooked spaghetti, and sautéed peppers and onions into the cheese sauce.
- Assemble Casserole: Spoon the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake (or Freeze): At this point, you can cover the casserole with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months or refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Serve with Angel Biscuits for a complete Southern meal.
- Tips:
- The RoTel adds a delicious, mildly spicy flavor to the dish.
- Assemble the casserole up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.
- When freezing, place plastic wrap over the casserole before covering it with aluminum foil to prevent the acidic tomatoes from reacting with the aluminum.
- Break the spaghetti into 2 to 3-inch pieces before cooking.
- Cook the pasta just until done, as it will cook more in the oven.
- You can skip baking and enjoy this dish as a skillet meal.
Variations:
- Substitute turkey, ham, or cooked ground beef for the chicken.
- Stir in some chopped pimentos.
- Sauté bell peppers with the onions.
- Top with breadcrumbs, crushed tortilla chips, or potato chips for added crunch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg