This new and improved Chicken Spaghetti casserole uses whole ingredients to create this creamy comfort food classic!
Chicken Spaghetti is a classic casserole recipe that just about every family I know has in their recipe box. Each recipe I’ve come across is very similar and every family has their favorite twist or addition to this weeknight favorite. Our family has made Chicken Spaghetti since I was little. I remember loving it when mom would make a batch of this creamy, comforting dish.
Just like many casseroles, this one seems to grow as it’s prepared and is great for potlucks or to have as leftovers. Another bonus is that it’s budget friendly and can stretch to feed a crowd, or a house full of teenagers in my case.
The original recipe that my family and I have made for years is the Velveeta-style Chicken Spaghetti, which I have posted the recipe for here. In this “New” Chicken Spaghetti recipe, I replace the processed Velveeta cheese with real sharp cheddar, cream cheese and evaporated milk to make an equally creamy and comforting casserole.
I’m actually a big fan of this style of Chicken Spaghetti, in fact, I like it better. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but something just tastes different about Velveeta these days, something more processed and weird. I know there were complaints over the past several years about Kraft changing their formula and then changing it back to the “original”, but I still think it tastes weird. Some folks wouldn’t dream of eating a processed loaf like Velveeta, but this Texas girl grew up on the stuff and I used to like it…a lot.
Anyway, enough about my love for Velveeta and how it has forsaken me. This recipe is truly like homemade macaroni and cheese with chicken. If you’re looking for comfort food, look no further, this one should do the trick! I hope you enjoy.
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New Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 4 split chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 1 12 oz can whole evaporated milk
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chiles
- 1 small can diced green chiles
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in enough water to just cover until done.
- Remove from broth, cool, debone and cube; set aside.
- Bring broth to a boil and add all of spaghetti and cook until done.
- In a medium skillet, saute onion in butter until softened.
- Add garlic and saute for an additional minute.
- Whisk in Rotel tomatoes, Green Chiles, evaporated milk and cream cheese. Continue stirring until cream cheese is melted and combined.
- Once melted and combined, remove sauce from heat and stir in 2 cups of sharp cheddar, a small handful at a time, stirring well between additions to incorporate.
- Immediately add to cooked spaghetti mixture.
- Gently fold in cooked and cubed chicken.
- Pour into a greased casserole dish. Cover with remaining 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Serve immediately.
I’m Jennifer Locklin, author and owner of Jennifer Cooks. I am a trained chef and passionate about good food, cooking for family and friends, and creating recipes that form lasting memories from one generation to the next.
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