Let me start by saying my husband requested that I make this recipe over my usual chicken pasta recipe that I’ve been making for 10 years!! I was appalled. But honestly, I can’t even blame him. This creamy Chicken Spaghetti recipe is a pasta lover’s dream. Tender chicken breast and spaghetti pasta are coated with a luscious cream sauce, then baked to perfection with extra cheese on top! I love an easy casserole that’s made with simple pantry and refrigerated ingredients, and this one now firmly has a spot in our weekly dinner rotation!
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“It was my first time making this fabulous chicken spaghetti! My family was so pleased with the way it turned out! We will absolutely make this recipe again!”
Ashley Zimmer
Simple Chicken Spaghetti
This is not the traditional spaghetti sauce recipe you’re probably familiar with. My chicken spaghetti recipe is made with a creamy, cheesy, super flavorful cream sauce that coats tender chicken and spaghetti noodles. Tangy Rotel tomatoes are also added to give it an extra pop of flavor and to balance the creaminess of the dish. The mixture is then placed in a casserole dish and baked until it’s gooey and bubbly around the sides. Great, now I’m sitting here drooling just thinking about it again!
Budget-Saving Tip
I opted for two boneless, skinless chicken breasts when making this recipe. But if your budget is tight, you can certainly use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead! You could also try using ground chicken (about 1.5 lbs) if that’s what you’ve got in the fridge. 😊
Chicken Spaghetti
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, (about 1.5 lb total) $6.25)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.12)
- ½ Tbsp salt (for the pasta water, $0.04)
- 8 oz spaghetti (uncooked, $0.62)
- ¼ cup salted butter ($0.52)
- 1 onion (diced, $0.32)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced, $0.16)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour ($0.06)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.34 *)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.02)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded, (divided) $1.24 **)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded, (divided) $1.24 **)
- 1 cup heavy cream ($1.36)
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (drained, (Rotel) $1.00 ***)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Using a sharp knife, carefully fillet each chicken breast into two thinner cutlets. Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the four chicken cutlets to the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes total). Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board, and allow it to rest.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp of salt to the water then add the spaghetti pasta and boil until the pasta is tender (or al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, start making the sauce. In the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and stir with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flour starts to turn golden brown.
- Slowly pour the chicken broth into the skillet and stir to fully dissolve the flour from the bottom of the skillet. The flour will start to thicken the sauce when it returns to a simmer. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and the heavy cream to the skillet. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- After the chicken breasts have rested, chop them into smaller ½ inch pieces.
- Turn the heat off the skillet and add the drained diced tomatoes with green chiles, the chopped chicken, and the cooked spaghetti to the pan. Mix until combined.
- Add the chicken spaghetti mixture to a 9×13” casserole dish. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and cheese is melted.
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Equipment
- Large Deep Skillet
- Saucepan
- 9×13'' Casserole Dish
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Chicken Spaghetti – Step by Step Photos
Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Use a sharp knife to carefully fillet each chicken breast into two thinner cutlets. Here is a great tutorial on how to cut chicken breast into cutlets by Serious Eats.
Now, heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Place the four chicken cutlets into the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes total). Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board, and let it rest.
Cook the pasta: While you wait for the chicken to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp of salt to the water, then add 8 oz. of spaghetti pasta, and boil until the pasta is tender (or al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander.
Make the sauce: I start making the sauce while the spaghetti is boiling. In the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in, heat 1/4 cup salted butter over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour into the skillet and stir with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour starts to turn golden brown. Slowly pour 2 cups of chicken broth into the skillet and stir to fully dissolve the flour from the bottom of the skillet. The flour will start to thicken the sauce when it returns to a simmer.
Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of heavy cream to the skillet. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Now chop the cooked chicken breasts into smaller ½ inch pieces.
Turn the heat off the skillet and add 1 can of drained diced tomatoes with green chiles, the chopped chicken, and the cooked spaghetti to the pan. Gently mix together until well combined.
Assemble the casserole: Add the chicken and spaghetti mixture to a 9×13” casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Bake the casserole: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and the cheese is melted on top.
This Chicken Spaghetti casserole is so creamy and delicious, it’ll soon become one of your favorite recipes! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips for Success!
- I recommend cooking the spaghetti until al dente so it doesn’t become overcooked and mushy when baking in the oven!
- I used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. Together, they totaled about 1.5 lbs and took around 7-10 minutes to cook in a skillet. If you use larger or smaller chicken breasts, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Use the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in to make your cheesy sauce! And no, you don’t have to wash it first! I can’t explain how much extra flavor those brown bits on the bottom of your skillet add. The melted butter and chicken broth will deglaze the pan and incorporate all of that flavor into the sauce.
- Once you add the flour to the skillet, cook it for 2-3 minutes before moving to the next step. This cooks out the raw flour taste and creates a roux (for thickening the sauce) with the melted butter.
Variations to Try
When I say this recipe is delicious, I mean it! But that doesn’t mean you can’t use up what you already have on hand or try new variations. Here are a few ideas to switch things up:
- Add sliced mushrooms or diced bell peppers (sauté them with the onions and garlic first!) The mushroom addition would make this recipe similar to a chicken tetrazzini!
- Use leftover rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken instead of cooking the chicken breasts in a skillet.
- Sprinkle in another type of cheese like Monterey Jack or Parmesan for even more cheesy goodness!
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to up the spice level.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this chicken casserole with some crusty bread or try our Homemade Garlic Bread. It would also pair well with a quick side salad to keep dinner simple and easy. With that being said, my family and I totally enjoyed this dish by itself…no extra sides needed for us!😉
Storage & Reheating
Let any leftovers cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I usually use the microwave to reheat individual servings until hot throughout. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one, as pasta and cream-based dishes can become mushy and separate once thawed.
Absolutely loved it! So delicious – even as leftovers!
Use cumin and some cayenne pepper instead of Italian seasoning, and add some cilantro, 2-3 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, and a diced, roasted jalapeño for a yummy Mexican dish.
This recipe is so easy to make and is very delicious. It has become a household staple. I make it at least once a month and sometimes twice.
In the oven now. I don’t know why the hell this was under “quick and easy dinner recipes”, it’s anything but. Even with my partner helping it took about 45 minutes with several things going before it even went in the oven. A weeknight staple? Are you kidding me? I hope you spend as much time finding your car keys or your phone next time
Wow it’s negative people like you that suck. Read the damn recipe it clearly states 50 min to cook. Perhaps you may want to READ the recipes before you cook.
Delicious and easy recipe! It’s so nice to try a recipe without running to the store to purchase spices etc.
My only change were the cheeses. I used smoked gouda and mild cheddar.
Very good! My whole family loved it.
It was soo good but i substitute the heavy cream into cream cheese and added mushrooms and bell peppers. The only thing id remove from the recipe if i did it again would be the tomatoes because it gave it a sour taste a little. But overall it was so yummy
Included mushrooms (same time as onions) and fresh spinach (at simmer). So good. Also only had 1/3 c of HWC. Used half and half for rest. Still turned out great. Thanks for great recipe.
Where do I add the butter?
It’s in step 3! It’s what you saute the onion and garlic in. :)
This is in the oven as I type. I had to modify the recipe based on what I had on hand. I used about 1/4c dehydrated onions, leftover roasted chicken, 2/3 can of evaporated milk instead of cream, Muenster cheese and 1/2c of salsa instead of the tomatoes/peppers. It smells great and I really think my family will enjoy it. Easy as homemade mac and cheese to throw together. Already I think blanched cauliflower, peas, broccoli, spinach or asparagus would be great additions. Maybe even mushrooms.
This was awful! A huge waste of time, energy and $$. I lost my old chicken spaghetti recipe and clicked on this- big mistake! It was soupy and tasted mainly of rotel. Awful recipe, sry to creator I just want to let others know it’s not the best version out there
Getting ready to make this now. I know it’s gonna be fab. One of the few recipes that does not use can of soup. (yuk!) I’ll “Jack it up” with extra onion and garlic, some mushrooms, and curry powder. We love the Better than Bullion product, the veggie one, it’s so versatile.
Even better, I grew up and still live here in Nashville! Keep it local!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Wife loved it and I will definitely make again. The dish was creamy and full of flavor! Thanks for sharing.
My 11 and 14yo boys said it was the best thing I had ever made! My husband and I thought this was so delicious too. Followed the recipe exactly except used a little less cream, maybe used 2/3 of a cup. Thank you for the recipe!
I was very excited about this dish, but the chicken stock is overbearing. My family was not impressed.