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Out Of This World Rotel Chicken Spaghetti is a family favorite one-pan meal. Made with tender chicken, tomatoes and green chilies tossed in a creamy, cheesy sauce, this is pasta casserole taken to a whole new level! This easy to make recipe is always a hit at the supper table, potlucks and makes a great freezer meal.
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Comfort food. Pasta. Casserole. Those things just go together in my mind. Whenever I hear that someone is serving up a casserole with pasta, I automatically think of comfort food. We all need it, right? Whether it’s Baked Spaghetti or this chicken spaghetti, food that makes you feel good is kind of like a warm hug.
Whether you need some extra loving or are celebrating a good day, a casserole loaded with pasta and other great ingredients is always in order. My version of Rotel Chicken Spaghetti is on my family’s shortlist of out of this world good things in life. I’ve taken this popular recipe and changed it up a bit.
I’ve removed the canned soup, (I’m not being a food snob, I just can’t do that stuff) and added cream cheese and sour cream. There’s no processed cheese here but there are loads of shredded sharp cheddar. YES!
I’ve also added more tomatoes and green chilies to make this baked pasta casserole extra flavorful. Last but not least, I decided to go all-in and added a topping of crushed tortillas and more cheese.
Ingredients Needed For Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
- Shredded Cooked Chicken
- Spaghetti
- Rotel Tomatoes and Chilies
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Cheddar Cheese
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Tortilla Chips
Scroll Down For Measuements
How To Make Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
- Preheat oven. Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on the pan. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until done.
- While the chicken is baking, cook pasta according to the package directions. When done, drain and set aside.
- Lightly coat an 11×17-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. To a large pot, over medium-low heat, add cooked chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, both cans of Rotel tomatoes and chilies, cumin, salt, garlic and, onion powder. Stir together until cream cheese is melted.
- Add in 2 cups of cheddar cheese and stir. Add cooked pasta and stir together until noodles are coated. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with crushed tortilla chips and the remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until heated through and the top of the casserole is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve.
Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use a large pot. Fill it with 4 quarts of water for every pound of pasta. This way, you won’t crowd the pot.
- Season the water with at least a tablespoon of salt; more is fine. This is crucial to having a flavorful dish.
- Bring the water up to a boil and add the pasta. Stir with tongs or a large spoon so that the pasta does not stick together.
- Cook according to the package but TEST by tasting before the recommended time is up. You want the pasta to be cooked “al dente, ” meaning it should be chewy and not soggy.
People Often Ask…
This recipe makes a great freezer meal. To make sure it turns out properly, assemble it, leaving off the crushed tortilla chips and cheese. Cover the casserole with foil and freeze.
You can keep it frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, just thaw in the fridge, add the crushed chips and cheese then bake, uncovered for about 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the casserole is hot.
This is a great one-pan dish that only needs a couple of things to make a complete meal. I like to serve a cool salad alongside it. My favorites are Super Simple Caprese Salad and Tomato Cucumber Salad. Add some warm bread like Garlic Knots or Parmesan Garlic Skillet Rolls for the final touch.
More Easy Pasta Dishes To Make…
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts – cooked and shredded
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 10 ounce cans Rotel tomatoes and chilies
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 block)
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on the pan. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until done and chicken is no longer pink. To check that chicken is done, use a meat thermometer that registers 160-170 degrees. Remove from oven, and shred using 2 forks.
- While chicken is baking, cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and set aside.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 11×17 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- To a large pot, over medium-low heat, add cooked chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, both cans of Rotel tomatoes and chilies, cumin, salt, garlic and, onion powder. Stir together until cream cheese is melted. Add-in 2 cups of cheddar cheese and stir. Add cooked pasta and stir together until noodles are coated. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top of casserole with crushed tortilla chips and remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until heated through and top of casserole is golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wendy
My family really loved this casserole. It was easy to make and delicious! Everyone has requested that we have it again very soon! I must say that unlike the commenter who didn’t want to make this with the “plastic cheese” (Velvetta) I tried it both ways and I actually found the Velvetta version very good. The creamy melty texture went really well with the noodles. I will make it both ways or maybe even a combination of the two. Thank you for the recipe. Now I am looking forward to making your air fryer pecan recipe this afternoon!
Thank you so much, Wendy! I’m so glad your family enjoyed the pasta and I appreciate the great rating.
~Donya
Barbara Waddell
I kept the pasta separate because of my diabetes. Cooked the chicken mixture in the crockpot. Very good meal.
Roger
Has anyone tried it with ground beef instead of chicken?
Sherry
We loved this! Did not change anything and it was a great comfort food meal. Servered with some garlic bread it was perfect.
Carolyn
This REALLY good and you can choose the heat level with the Rigel tomato’s and green chilies. Great new twist to chicken and so easy to prepare and cook when ready!