Easy & Delicious Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel: A Quick Family Dinner (2024)

Chicken spaghetti with Rotel is an easy, simple, and delicious spaghetti casserole dish for weeknight family dinners! The Velveeta cheese, cream cheese, and heavy cream (or cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup) make this dish extra special! Plus, it is a perfect use for leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken!

Serve with some delicious oven-garlic bread, , or microwave broccoli!

My chicken spaghetti uses the standard ingredients of this well-loved staple dish, with a few exceptions. I will note my preferences and include instructions for both variations.

Sometimes, I just don't want the canned cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup flavors in my family's dinner.

Other times, like anyone else, I'm crunched for time and will make this quick comfort food meal in 30 minutes or less!

🥘 Ingredients

The creamy chicken spaghetti sauce is enhanced with a touch of spicy flavor from the diced RoTel tomatoes, and the canned variety of diced tomatoes by RoTel adds the green chile flavor.

You can add even more vegetables like diced red or green bell peppers, celery, green onion, jalapeno, or whatever your favorite vegetables are.

Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients

• Chicken - 1½ pounds of chicken. The key to making this quick casserole is to use already cooked chicken (typically chicken breast meat), like leftover chicken or shredded chicken meat from a deli rotisserie chicken. In a pinch, I dice and quickly pan-fry some chicken thighs while cooking my pasta.
• Pasta - 8 ounces of pasta. Spaghetti noodles are the most common pasta to be used in this recipe. Other long noodles like angel hair, fettuccine, and linguine also work well.
• Heavy Cream - 1½ cups of heavy cream. To skip canned cream soups, use heavy cream as the sauce base. Otherwise, go ahead and pick your favorite - either condensed cream of chicken soup or condensed cream of mushroom soup.
• Chicken Broth - 1½ cups of chicken broth. For additional flavor, the pasta can also be cooked in chicken broth.
• Chicken Bouillon - 1 cube of chicken bouillon to enhance the chicken flavor even more! It is my personal preference and completely optional; however, it balances beautifully with the creamy richness of the cheeses used in the sauce.
• Butter - 2 tablespoons of salted butter. Adding a bit of butter will give your sauces an appetizing shine and add to the creaminess.
• Cream Cheese - 4 ounces of cream cheese. The cream cheese not only adds to the creamy sauce but also adds richness to the cheese sauce.
• Velveeta Cheese - 8 ounces of Velveeta cheese, cubed. Velveeta makes the cheese sauce insanely creamy and super cheesy!
• Cheddar Cheese - 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Even more cheese to make this fabulous cheesy pasta bake. Use other cheeses like Monterey Jack or pepper jack if desired.
• Rotel Tomatoes - 10 ounces of Rotel brand canned diced tomatoes with diced green chilies; the tomatoes add flavor and texture. The green chilies are a zesty touch!
• Seasoning - Salt and pepper to taste, as well as an optional 1 teaspoon of onion powder and/or an optional teaspoon of red chili powder.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Chicken Spaghetti

Grab a casserole dish and start your pasta to have this cheesy dinner on the table in no time! All you need is a 9x13 baking dish, a saucepan, a whisk, and measuring cups.

This 9x13 casserole will make 8 servings, perfect for the whole family!

Prepare

Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC/Gas Mark 4) and butter or grease your 9x13 baking pan or 2.5-quart casserole dish.

Step 2: Dice, shred, or cube chicken meat. Shred 1½ pounds (680 grams) of rotisserie chicken or cube up any leftover chicken (or turkey) breast or thigh meat that you have on hand. If needed, cube up raw chicken meat and pan sear with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until cooked through.

Step 3: Cook, drain, and rinse pasta. Cook 8 ounces (227 grams) of pasta until al denté, usually two minutes short of the boxed package instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Step 4: Start the sauce. Return the saucepan used for cooking your pasta to the stovetop. Add 1½ cups (355 milliliters) of heavy cream, 1½ cups (355 milliliters) of chicken broth, and 1 chicken bouillon cube (or canned cream soup with the broth and bouillon cube). Heat over a medium temperature.

Step 5: Melt cheese. Once the heavy cream sauce is warmed, add 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter, 4 ounces (113 grams) of cream cheese, 8 ounces (227 grams) of Velveeta cheese, 1 cup (120 grams) of shredded cheddar cheese, and seasoning (salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon (2.4 grams) of onion powder, and 1 teaspoon (2.7 grams) of red chili powder). Reduce heat to low and stir or whisk frequently until all of the cheese has melted.

Assemble & Bake

Step 6: Assemble. Layer the cooked pasta, cheese sauce, diced or shredded chicken meat, and 10 ounces (283 grams) of Rotel tomatoes and toss to combine in the baking pan or dish. Top with any additional cheese, green onions, and/or crushed tortilla chips that you may want as optional add-ons.

Step 7: Cook and serve. Bake uncovered at 350ºF (175ºC/Gas Mark 4) for 15-20 minutes, just enough to heat all the ingredients and combine the flavors. Then, remove from the oven and serve immediately.

This incredibly versatile casserole tastes great with tons of different things! Just choose your favorite salad or vegetable side dish. Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

• Slightly Undercook the Pasta: When preparing pasta that will be baked, cook it for about 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. Since the pasta will continue cooking in the oven, this prevents it from becoming too soft or mushy.
• Use Leftover Rotisserie Chicken: Incorporating leftover rotisserie chicken can make the dish effortless and quick to prepare. It's a convenient and tasty way to add protein without extra cooking time.
• Instant Pot Chicken as an Alternative: If you don't have leftover chicken, consider making some quickly in an Instant Pot. For instance, Instant Pot chicken thighs can be a fast and flavorful addition to your dish.
• Salt the Pasta Water Generously: Adding a generous amount of salt to the pasta boiling water is crucial for flavor. It seasons the pasta from within, enhancing the overall taste of the dish.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

To store any leftovers, leave it in your casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid or cover it with a sheet of plastic cling film. Otherwise, transfer it into an airtight storage container.

*Note that aluminum foil will react with the acids of the tomatoes and leave your casserole with an unpleasant taste. Use cling film instead.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days; however, refrigerated leftovers are best when reheated and enjoyed within the first 1-2 days.

Reheating

Reheat leftovers in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 10-15 minutes or until warmed up to your satisfaction.

To microwave, heat individual portions for 1 minute, stir, then continue heating in 30-second increments. Remove when fully heated and serve.

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❓ FAQ

🐔 More Great Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Pot Pie - Comforting and delicious chicken pot pie is topped off with an incredibly flaky crust.
• Avocado Chicken - Slices of avocado, cheese, and bacon are layered atop seared chicken breasts.
• Cream Cheese Chicken - Seared chicken thighs are coated in a creamy cheese sauce.
• - Tender shredded chicken is smothered in rich and flavorful gravy.
• Bisquick Oven Fried Chicken - Enjoy some fried chicken without any of the mess of using a deep fryer.
• Chicken Stuffing Casserole - Chicken, stuffing, veggies, and a creamy sauce make up this simple and delicious casserole.

📖 Recipe Card