Baked Chicken Spaghetti
This flavor-packed, cheesy, soul-satisfying baked chicken spaghetti boasts everything you could ever want in an easy weeknight casserole. Plus, this time-saving make-ahead recipe is the ultimate comfort food!
Casseroles have gotten a bad rap because they’re way too easy. But hey, isn’t that what we want for those crazy weeknight dinners and make-ahead ease? Besides, what’s wrong with loads of cheese, shredded chicken, and spaghetti in a silky-smooth sauce for a unique baked dish that is always a huge hit?
We needed a freezer-friendly recipe because we were going to have a crazy week. That’s when versatile casseroles work their magic. I looked to see what I had, and there were chicken breasts in the freezer, pasta and canned tomatoes in the pantry, and veggies in the fridge. A little cheese and spice, and we had at least two dinners done and ready to go.
What Makes Chicken and Spaghetti the Perfect Bake
First, it’s super easy to make the pasta, sauté, and assemble. Second, it’s even better the next day as the flavor develops and the noodles absorb all that goodness. Besides, this convenient one-pan wonder is soooo satisfying. What more could you ask for on a crazy weeknight?
How to Bake Chicken Spaghetti
- Season and sear the chicken, sauté the aromatics for the sauce, then add the bell peppers and tomatoes.
- Cook the spaghetti and finish the sauce.
- Assemble the ingredients, pour it into a baking dish, top with cheese, and bake until golden and bubbly.
Recipe Notes
- Add breadcrumbs, crushed potato chips, or crushed butter crackers on top halfway through for a crunchy topping.
- For the ultimate cheesiness, skip the pre-shredded stuff and shred your own.
- If cooking for two, you can divide your ingredients between two smaller baking dishes, bake one now, and pop the other in the freezer for later.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can freeze this casserole, unbaked, in an airtight container for 3-4 months. Thaw it in the fridge the night before and let it set at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking (or put it in a cold oven, then heat it) so you don’t break your glass lasagna pan. It will last 3-4 days in the fridge before baking.
Store leftover chicken spaghetti for 3-5 days. The microwave is usually the easiest way to reheat it.
What Goes With Baked Chicken Spaghetti
I like to serve this dish with traditional spaghetti sides. Homemade garlic bread and a wedge salad are my go-tos. But it also goes great with shaved Brussels sprouts salad, sweet potato salad, or pea salad on the side. Anything fresh and crunchy will balance well with the rich, creamy cheese sauce.
More Easy, Hearty Casserole Recipes to Try
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Cabbage Roll Casserole
- Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”SK0UYQ0s” upload-date=”2022-10-11T21:59:01.000Z” name=”BAKED CHICKEN SPAGHETTI.mp4″ description=”Baked Chicken Spaghetti is a flavor-packed, cheesy, soul-satisfying recipe and has everything you could ever want in a casserole. Cheese, chicken, and pasta create a super easy midweek dinner.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This blog post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Baked Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks (or 3 cups cooked shredded chicken)
- salt and pepper to taste (¾-1 teaspoon each per pound is average)
- 1-2 teaspoons (5-15g) Creole seasoning
- ¼ tablespoons (30ml) neutral-flavored oil or butter
- 8 ounces (225g) spaghetti
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon (15g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2g) fresh minced thyme
- 1 15-ounce can (425g) diced tomatoes
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons (23g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cup (355ml) chicken broth
- 1 12-ounce can (340g) evaporated milk
- ¾ cup (60g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (120g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (60g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon (4g) chopped fresh parsley, plus more for the optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning or your favorite spice mix.
- Heat a Dutch oven or medium pan over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon of oil.
- Then add the chicken and sauté for 5-6 minutes on each side until it's almost cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Add more oil (or butter) to the same pan if needed, then add the onions, garlic, thyme, and more Creole seasoning. Stir for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions wilt.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot per the instructions, drain, and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Toss in the tomatoes and bell peppers, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the flour until fully incorporated, about a minute. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk and broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
- Stir in all but about ½ cup of the cheeses (reserve the rest for the top), and continue stirring until everything's melted, evenly combined, and smooth. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning.
- Add the chicken and spaghetti to the sauce, and stir gently to evenly coat.
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased lasagna pan or 4-quart baking dish, and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Tips & Notes:
- Use whole wheat spaghetti for a slightly healthier take on this recipe. Boil it until it’s al dente, just like regular pasta.
- Feel free to get creative with the veggies and cheeses. Try chopped zucchini, diced cauliflower and broccoli, Colby, Jack, Gruyere, and anything else that sounds good to you.
- Please don’t overcook the pasta. Al dente still has a pleasant bite to it after coming out of the oven.
- Please remember that the nutritional data is a rough estimate and can vary immensely depending on the ingredients used in the recipe.
Imma! I have this baking in the oven right now. Having made several of your other recipes, I have no doubt that it will be fantastic. Question: how much cheese should be reserved for the topping?
Hi Sara, So sorry for the late response . About a 1/4 -1/3 of the cheese . Adjust with more if you want a gooey topping .
Absolutely love this
Thank you so much, Lily. I am glad to have you hear, browse the blog and enjoy more recipe:)
Really excellent! Great mix of flavors and textures. I would suggest making it in a larger casserole dish rather than the 2 quart you suggested. I thought it looked like it needed a bigger dish so used a 3 quart and it still came up to the top of the dish! We have lots of yummy leftovers! My husband just announced it was his favorite meal in a long time!
Thanks for sharing, Carole, and for taking the the time to let me know. Happy New Year to you an your family!
Good day Imma.
I made this for Sunday lunch, awesome delicious ,moist, tasty . My family totally loved it.
Thank you very much.
Best Regards
Michelle
So excited to make this this weekend! I find that at my grocery store I have a hard time finding pure Monterrey jack. They do have a mix of mild cheddar and Monterrey jack, do you think that would work okay?
P.S. I have made SO many of your recipes and they are all a hit, my favorite are the oxtails and the jerk chicken.
Hi Kay,
So sorry, I somehow missed this. It would be just fine. So happy to hear the recipes are working out well for you.
This dish looks really good. I will be making it except that I will be omitting the chicken. I’m vegetarian.
You can also do that, Esther. Thanks for dropping by.
Hello, first of all I just discovered this site last night and I am in love with it already!! I am planning on making the 1 skillet Jerk Chicken & Rice & Peas (using Gunjo Peas instead of Red Kidney) dish tomorrow since my 13 year old will be gone with his cousins to DC.
I am thinking about making this meal tonight. I just want to clarify something though. I plan to use a cooked rotisserie chicken (because I already placed the whole chicken in my rotisserie this morning) I should skip step 5 entirely correct, as my chicken will already be cooked. I think this looks absolutely divine and you cant go wrong with cheese, lol!!!
Hello Elena,
So happy to have you on board. Yes it is correct you can start cooking from step 6. Do let me know how it works for you.Thanks!
Thank you Imma!! I am going to go ahead and run to the grocery store to grab some more cheese and a yellow pepper. I will report back after dinner and le you know how it turns out!!
Elena
Imma, Imma, IMMA!!!!!!
Thank you sooooo much, this was a complete hit with both the 14 year old and the 51 year old!!!! The young man asked if I could warm it up and put it in a thermos to stay hot so he could take it with him on his field trip tomorrow to DC (they have to bring their own lunch)He was disappointed when I said no because I had already packed his requested lunch and then made my husband swear he wouldn’t eat the rest because he was planning to eat it when he gets back from his field trip, lol!! The only adjustment I made to this was instead of 3/4 cups of parm I used a 1/4 cup mixed with the bread crumbs for the topping (I use this on chicken & turkey tetrazzini) and I added 1/2 Fontina cheese in the spaghetti. I will be adding this to the monthly rotation. Also I feel like this would freeze very nicely for meal to pull out to thaw night before and pop in he oven next day!! I cant wait to make this One Pot Jerk & Rice tomorrow!! Thanks again for sharing!!!
Elena
Thank you so much, Elena, I am super excited to read your comment. Stay tuned to have more amazing recipes:)