Creamy Southern Chicken Spaghetti
Creamy Southern Chicken Spaghetti Casserole is the one dish my family most often requests! This easy cheesy pasta dish is the “ultimate comfort food” in the South! You can make in advance and is a great dish to take to potlucks!
This is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day – so make a big batch so you’ll have some leftovers.
Creamy spaghetti noodles nestled in a cheese sauce with tender chicken and hints of red and bell peppers! This casserole is ready in less than an hour.
Creamy spaghetti noodles nestled in a cheese sauce with tender chicken and hints of red and bell peppers! This casserole is ready in less than an hour.
You’ll love this recipe!
There are a million versions of baked chicken spaghetti casserole recipes out there! Most of the popular recipes include Rotel tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese or Velveeta™ cheese, which I refer to as “plastic cheese.”
This Southern chicken spaghetti recipe has no Velveeta cheese, so it’s a bit more natural.
- Quick and Easy – use rotisserie chicken to cut down on cooking time; the recipe card below includes time for baking the chicken
- Great for crowds – this Chicken Spaghetti recipe fills a 9 x 13 baking dish and yields about 8-10 servings as a single entree. If you’re serving other side dishes, you can get 12-14 servings out of this recipe.
- Leftovers are great! This is one of “those” recipes that almost tastes better the second time around.
I use real cheddar cheese and cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup. (I know…I don’t usually use canned condensed soups, but for this cheesy chicken spaghetti casserole, I make an exception:)
Here’s what you’ll need
About 4 lbs. of chicken, sharp cheddar cheese, onion, bell pepper (you can use red or green bell peppers), garlic powder, chicken stock (or chicken broth), condensed soups (cream of chicken and cream of celery), sour cream, salt, black ground pepper and spaghetti noodles. See Recipe Card below for exact ingredients and amounts.
You can use any strand pasta you prefer: linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti. I use thick spaghetti noodles most of the time, but I have made it with flat noodles and it turns out fine.
For best results, I recommend shredding a block of sharp cheddar instead of using pre-shredded cheese.
Here’s how to make Southern chicken spaghetti
This recipe starts out on the stove. Basically, everything is cooked when you put it in the oven-you’re just melting the top layer of cheese in a preheated oven.
If you don’t have time to bake it, you can serve it directly from the stove as well, just add in all the cheese instead of half.
First, chop the onions, green bell peppers and celery. In a large saucepan on medium heat, add a little oil and saute vegetables for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Add in the condensed soups, garlic powder, sour cream, one cup of shredded cheddar cheese and chicken broth; let that cook on the stove for about 10 minutes; add in the cooked shredded or cubed chicken and allow to cook on low heat while you make the pasta.
Bring a large pot of water (salted) to a boil; add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente pasta – this is usually about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside
Pour the creamy sauce and chicken into a large casserole dish (9 x 13); add the cooked spaghetti; toss with tongs until the mixture is combined; top with remaining cheese; cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Saute vegetables
Add sour cream and condensed soups: NOTE: Generally, I don’t cook with canned condensed soups, but for this classic chicken spaghetti recipe, I make an exception.
Add shredded chicken
Add 1/2 of the cheddar cheese
Pour into lightly oiled baking dish; top with remaining cheese; cover with foil and bake
How to cook the chicken
There are two ways to prepare the chicken for Spaghetti Casserole-you can bake it (recommended method) or broil the chicken
Bake: salt and pepper the chicken and place it in a lightly oiled dish, covered with foil. Bake at 350ºF for about 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Boil: Bring a big pot of water to high heat, add the chicken and cook about 25 minutes. Again, you want to make sure the temperature of the meat is at least 165ºF.
Even though the baked-method takes a little longer, I prefer it over the boiled-method. Sometimes, boiled chicken turns out rubbery so to avoid a rubber chicken, I opt for the baked-method.
This easy chicken spaghetti recipe calls for dark chicken thighs (boneless and/or skinless), but you can use chicken breast if you prefer.
Dark meat has a more robust flavor than white meat, but some folks don’t like dark meat. If you’re on the fence, use a combination of white and dark meat in your chicken spaghetti casserole. If you don’t want to fool with cooking chicken, use a rotisserie chicken from the deli!
Absolutely! Rotisserie deli chicken meat works great in this dish and makes for a quick and easy dinner!
Be aware that sometimes the deli chickens are small and do not yield enough meat.
This recipe calls for 4 lbs. of chicken. Remove the skin from the deli chicken, shred the meat and add it to the skillet with the onions and peppers.
If you prefer not to use condensed soups in the casserole you can make your own condensed soup alternative. You’ll need 2 ½ cups of “condensed soup alternative.” Add a little celery seed and chicken bouillon to your homemade condensed soup.
Another option is to use Pacific brand condensed soups – they are gluten and dairy free and work great in this recipe!
Make ahead: freezer and refrigerator storage instructions
Going to a potluck? You can assemble chicken spaghetti casserole in advance, and store it in either the refrigerator or freezer, either cooked or uncooked. Either of these can be stored in the refrigerator for one day. (Note: uncooked means the pasta is cooked and the dish is assembled, but it hasn’t been baked yet)
If you need to make it more than one day in advance, freeze the casserole.
For uncooked storage, simply assemble the dish and place in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap. You can refrigerate and freeze until time to serve. Allow uncooked casserole to thaw slightly, then bake in the oven (covered) at 350ºF until it’s bubbly hot.
For cooked chicken spaghetti, place the chicken spaghetti in a secure container and freeze for up to three weeks. When ready to serve, simply remove from freezer and reheat in the oven (covered) at 350ºF or in the microwave.
Southern chicken spaghetti casserole is one of those classic American pasta dishes that the whole family loves and everybody makes theirs differently.
I hope you enjoy my spin on this classic Chicken Spaghetti recipe! Serve this family favorite with a crisp green salad and call it dinner!
Related recipes
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Southern Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pasta (spaghetti)
- 4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 2 tablespoons oil , canola, vegetable or olive oil
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 can condensed cream of celery
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup chicken broth , unsalted
- 12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese shredded; divided (8 ounces for casserole; 4 ounces for topping)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Place chicken on lightly greased baking dish, season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake about 40-45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF – OR – Place chicken thighs (or breasts) in a large pot and cover with water; bring to boil; allow chicken to come to 165ºF; remove chicken and set aside4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- While chicken is cooking, chop onions, celery and bell peppers1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper
- Once chicken has cooled, use two forks to shred the meat; set aside
Prepare the Vegetables and Sauce
- Add oil to skillet, place chopped onions, celery and bell peppers in oil; cook about 15 minutes on medium – medium/high heat2 tablespoons oil, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper
- Once vegetable mixture is done, add chicken broth, condensed soups, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sour cream; Mix together well and allow to cook for about 5 minutes uncovered1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 can condensed cream of celery, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup chicken broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Add shredded chicken to vegetable mixture; combine well4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Add one cup of shredded cheese to mixture; combine well; turn heat to low and prepare pasta12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
Final Steps
- In a different large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil; cook pasta as indicated on packaging (usually about 9 minutes) Drain pasta; set aside1 lb. pasta (spaghetti)
- Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish; add cooked pasta and vegetable mixture to baking dish; combine well (this is easiest to do with tongs)
- Add remaining half of of the cheese to the pasta and vegetable mixture; mix well12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
- Top with remaining cheese; bake covered for about 15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and casserole is bubbly.
Notes
- Note: you can reduce the cooking time by about 45 minutes if you use rotisserie chicken
- I make this dish with dark meat because I think it’s more flavorful, however, if you prefer white meat, then use chicken breast. Cook them as indicated in the recipe
- If you buy skin-on chicken, I’ve found it’s easier to remove the skin prior to cooking the chicken.
- If you want a crispy topping, cook the casserole uncovered
My ultimate dish for gatherings of any sort! This is the best recipe for chicken spaghetti ever!!
Thank you!
My favorite ❤️
Thank you!
How can we add a little more heat to this recipe? ❤️
Hi Jane!!
Add ground white pepper or cayenne pepper for more heat. You could add chili powder, but that might change the flavor to more of a mexican flair.
This is my favorite!!!
Thank you!
This chicken spaghetti casserole looks delicious and easy to make, thanks for the step by step images and the notes.
Thank you, Muna!