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American

Chicken Spaghetti

Spaghetti baked with chicken, green chiles, cream cheese, and cheddar. Use chicken that was cooked to 165°F. This is a potluck bake, not a braise.

Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
45 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
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Baked chicken spaghetti with a melted cheddar top in a casserole dish

Why you’ll love it

  • The chicken is already cooked. The bake only heats the pasta through.
  • Cream cheese is what makes the sauce cling.
  • Undercook the spaghetti by a minute. It finishes in the oven.
  • The top should be melted and bubbling, not dry and hard.

Ingredients

Servings6

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 350°F. Boil the spaghetti in salted water until it is just short of tender. Drain it.

  2. 2

    Cook the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds.

  3. 3

    Add the tomatoes, cream cheese, and broth. Stir until the cream cheese melts.

  4. 4

    Take the pot off the heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar, the chicken, salt, and pepper. The chicken should already have been cooked to 165°F.

  5. 5

    Fold in the spaghetti. Spread it in a greased 9-by-13-inch dish and top with the remaining cheddar.

  6. 6

    Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges bubble. Rest 5 minutes.

Pro tips

  • Leftover chicken is fine if it was refrigerated within 2 hours and used within 4 days.
  • Drain the tomatoes or the sauce gets watery.
  • Rotisserie chicken works if you pull it while it is still moist.

Easy substitutions

spaghetti
linguine
cheddar
a Mexican cheese blend

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm covered at 325°F until hot in the center, about 20 minutes. Add a splash of broth if it looks dry.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
540
Protein
32 g
Carbs
48 g
Fat
24 g
Fiber
2 g

Budget friendly · Oven, Stovetop · High Protein

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients