Juicy shredded chicken, cream cheese, and cheddar come together with fresh garlic, chunks of tomato, and bell peppers to make this creamy baked Chicken Spaghetti! It’s a super simple baked pasta dish that serves up all hot and bubbly in just a matter of minutes!
Best Chicken Spaghetti Recipe
Want to know the easiest way to make a quick cheesy cream sauce? Use cream cheese! There is something magical about it. It doesn’t require making a roux and it is really hard to break. You literally just mix it together with some broth and heavy cream and you’ve got yourself a foolproof cream sauce.
And I’ve made sauce with cream cheese many times like with my Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta and Greek Chicken Pasta. So when I decided to make this ultimate cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe I knew right away that I wanted to use cream cheese. So I just boiled some spaghetti and then tossed it together with some chicken, cheddar cheese, and a simple sauce made of cream cheese, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Then I popped it in the oven and a delicious chicken and spaghetti dinner was made!
This casserole would be great served with some Garlic Bread and a Cucumber Tomato Salad!
Why You’ll Love Chicken Spaghetti
- Quick And Easy! This is a simple pasta recipe that you can easily put together on a busy weeknight. It doesn’t require any fancy ingredients and it’s perfect for using leftover cooked chicken.
- Chicken Cheesy Good! It has a velvety smooth cream cheese and cheddar sauce that is so good and perfectly coats every bite of the shredded chicken with spaghetti.
- Family Favorite! Cheesy pasta is always a winner with kids and adults alike! So this yummy chicken spaghetti is sure to please your whole family.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Breasts – I used shredded boneless skinless cooked chicken breasts to make this dish. But you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs too if you prefer.
- Spaghetti – I like to use spaghetti for this recipe but you can use any type of pasta you like.
- Olive Oil – Used to sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Onion – I like to use yellow onion, but any type of onion will work.
- Bell Peppers – For the most flavor use both green and red bell peppers.
- Garlic – It’s always best to use fresh minced garlic. Jarred minced garlic can sometimes have an odd flavor due to preservatives.
- Flour – You just need some all purpose flour to help thicken the sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Adds a touch of spice. Feel free to omit it or use as much of it as you like.
- Salt – Salt is used to season all food and enhance the flavors.
- Black Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is ideal.
- Chicken Broth – I like to use a low sodium variety to control the level of salt, or you can make your own chicken stock using my recipe.
- Cream Cheese – Gives the dish a creamy texture and a yummy cheesy taste.
- Heavy Cream – Also called whipping cream, it’s used to both add flavor and thicken the sauce.
- Diced Tomatoes – Adds some chunky texture and acidity to the dish.
- Cheddar Cheese – Used to give the chicken spaghetti an ultimate cheesy flavor and perfect finish.
How To Make Chicken Spaghetti
This dish is a fantastic simple baked spaghetti casserole that is quick to make. And the recipe has been broken down into 3 parts for you to easily follow.
Preheat The Oven
Before you begin, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). You’ll need to have the oven hot and ready to go once the dish is assembled. Then grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish well with nonstick cooking spray or melted butter.
Cook The Spaghetti
First, you’ll need to cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions until it’s cooked to al dente. Once it’s done, drain the pasta and set it aside. And you can use any type of pasta you like for this recipe.
Make The Sauce
To start the sauce, grab a medium saucepan and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Then add the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper to the pot and cook the veggies for about 5 minutes or until they are soft and the onions are translucent. Next, toss in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Then sprinkle the flour over the cooked veggies in the saucepan and then stir in the crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Now, whisk in the chicken broth and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes whisking occasionally until it comes to a boil.
Finally, add in the softened cream cheese, stirring constantly until it fully melts and creates a smooth sauce. Then add in the heavy cream along with the diced tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil once more. Now, remove the sauce from the heat and season to taste with salt and black pepper as needed.
Assemble The Chicken Spaghetti And Bake
To finish the dish, you just combine the cooked spaghetti, sauce, cooked chicken, and one cup of the cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Then put the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. Now, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese on top and put it in the hot oven to bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with some fresh parsley and serve.
What Does It Mean To Cook Pasta Al Dente?
To cook pasta to al dente basically means to cook it until it’s tender, but still firm to the bite. The best way to do this is to use a timer and check the pasta about 1 minute before the package instructions indicate.
Can I Use Other Types Of Pasta?
Yes! Any type of pasta will work for this recipe for chicken spaghetti from long noodles to bite-size varieties.
Can I Make Gluten Free Chicken Spaghetti?
Yes! All you have to do is use your favorite gluten-free pasta and replace the all-purpose flour in the sauce with gluten-free flour.
Expert Tips
- Salt your pasta water. You want to salt your pasta water salty like the sea to infuse the spaghetti with flavor. So you’ll need to add at least a big tablespoon to the cooking water.
- Grease the pan well. Make sure you grease your baking dish really well to prevent the chicken spaghetti from sticking to the pan when it is baking in the oven.
- Dice the veggies the same size. It’s important to dice the onions and bell peppers to all be about the same size so that they easily cook more evenly.
- Stir in cream cheese. When adding the cream cheese to the sauce, you must keep stirring it constantly until it is fully melted. This helps to create a silky sauce.
Leftovers
Chicken spaghetti will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just add a few tablespoons of water or milk to the pasta, then put it in the microwave or oven at 350°F (176°C) for a few minutes.
You can also freeze this pasta for up to 4 months. Then thaw it out in the fridge the night before or in the microwave and then proceed with reheating.
Make Ahead
You can easily make this recipe ahead of time. All you have to do is just assemble the dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and then in the fridge. Then when you are ready, just put the chicken spaghetti casserole in the oven to bake and serve.
Other Delicious Casseroles
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Chicken Spaghetti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cooked and shredded
- 16 ounces spaghetti uncooked (1 package)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- ½ medium green bell pepper chopped
- ½ medium red bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes 1 small can
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or melted butter.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions then drain.
- Heat the olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, green and red bell pepper, and cook for 5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion/pepper mixture, add red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and stir. Whisk in the chicken broth and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, while it comes to a boil.
- Add the cream cheese and stir continuously until cheese melts and sauce is smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil again, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- In a large bowl combine the spaghetti, the sauce, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and cooked chicken.
- Spread the spaghetti mixture in the greased baking dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Tips & Notes:
- Salt your pasta water. You want to salt your pasta water salty like the sea to infuse the spaghetti with flavor. So you’ll need to add at least a big tablespoon to the cooking water.
- Grease the pan well. Make sure you grease your baking dish really well to prevent the chicken spaghetti from sticking to the pan when it is baking in the oven.
- Dice the veggies the same size. It’s important to dice the onions and bell peppers to all be about the same size so that they easily cook more evenly.
- Stir in cream cheese. When adding the cream cheese to the sauce, you must keep stirring it constantly until it is fully melted. This helps to create a silky sauce.
- This will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just add a few tablespoons of water or milk to the pasta, then put it in the microwave or oven at 350°F (176°C) for a few minutes.
