Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Aug 13, 2023 1:23:22 GMT -5
Post by maybetoday on Aug 13, 2023 1:23:22 GMT -5
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
PREP:
30minutes minutes
COOK:
45minutes minutes
TOTAL:
1hour hour 15minutes minutes
SERVINGS
8
16 ounces spaghetti, broken into pieces
4 cups cooked and diced or shredded chicken
½ cup diced green bell pepper
½ cup diced celery
½ cup diced onion
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained or 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup finely-diced or grated Velveeta cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions for al dente (almost tender, but still with a little bite). Drain and return to the pot.
Add chicken, bell pepper, celery, onion, pimentos or Rotel, condensed soup, broth, ½ cup of the cheddar cheese and all of the Velveeta. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer spaghetti mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese over top.
Bake (uncovered) for 45 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted on top.
Which chicken to use for a Chicken Pasta Bake?
You’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:
Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 1 ¾ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 20 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken and use in the recipe. You can use as little as 1 ½ lbs. of meat, or as much as 2 lbs. of meat to start with — whatever you have on hand. You’ll need a total of about 4 cups (more or less) shredded. I find that 1 ¾ lbs. of chicken breasts yields about 4 cups of pulled chicken, but there’s some flexibility here — it doesn’t need to be exact.
Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a large rotisserie chicken (or two small chickens) from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed.
Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken from a previous meal, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
Canned Chicken: Yep, you can even use canned chicken in this casserole!
The Best Cheese for a Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Recipe
This recipe calls for a combination of cheddar and Velveeta cheeses. I love the flavor that you get from the cheddar, while the Velveeta has a creamy melting quality that you just can’t replicate with other cheeses. The Velveeta blends into the sauce and makes the whole dish taste rich, creamy, and cheesy.
That said, if you really don’t like the idea of using Velveeta cheese, you can substitute with additional cheddar cheese. You can also try other good melting cheeses in this casserole, such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby-Jack, Mozzarella, or Gruyere. You can even make chicken spaghetti with cream cheese or pimento cheese stirred into the dish instead of the Velveeta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if you like.
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