Saturday, March 21, 2026

Hen Spaghetti – WellPlated.com

Whether or not it as Hen Spaghetti or chickenetti, this consolation meals casserole is a creamy, tacky crowd-pleaser! Excellent for potlucks and household dinner (it serves 10!), my model skips the canned soup and layers in some Tex-Mex flavors to make it further delicious.

A spatula serves cheesy baked chicken spaghetti with diced tomatoes from a white casserole dish.

A traditional Midwestern casserole with some Nicely Plated twists.

cookbook author erin clarke of well plated

Hen spaghetti is an Amish casserole made to feed a crowd on a funds.

And, because it goes with most Midwestern casserole recipes, the unique model is made with a lot of canned soup and cheese.

I’m not going to skip the cheese (worry not!), however I’m going to show you to swap in a selfmade cream sauce that’s nonetheless straightforward, however not as excessive in sodium.

After which we get a little bit bit sassy and switch it right into a real-deal meal…

  • We are including veggies with onion and pink bell pepper, together with a hefty 3 garlic cloves to infuse the rooster spaghetti casserole with extra taste (and a pop of shade too).
  • Diced tomatoes with inexperienced chiles, pimentos, cumin, and paprika add unimaginable taste to the sauce and provides this old style casserole a little bit Tex-Mex spin.
  • Entire wheat spaghetti offers the casserole some further heartiness and a delicate taste enhance.
Plate of creamy chicken spaghetti with diced red bell peppers, served with a side of leafy green salad and a fork.

Key Components

This isn’t the complete checklist of substances! You’ll discover that within the printable recipe card on the backside of the web page. However right here you’ll discover a fast abstract of the important thing gamers and a few notes to bear in mind.

  • Spaghetti. As talked about above, I like to make use of complete wheat spaghetti, however common spaghetti is simply tremendous too.
  • Greens. I exploit yellow onion and pink bell pepper, together with garlic. You should utilize a yellow or orange bell pepper as a substitute of pink for the same candy taste, or strive inexperienced bell pepper for a little bit extra chunk.
  • Low-Sodium Hen Broth. The bottom of our cream sauce. I like to make use of low-sodium as a result of it offers me extra management over the salt stage.
  • Entire Milk. I like to recommend sticking with complete milk and never swapping in a decrease fats selection. This helps make the sauce wealthy and creamy.
  • Cream Cheese. You should utilize full-fat or reduced-fat. Let it come to room temperature so it melts extra shortly into the sauce.
  • Diced Tomatoes With Inexperienced Chiles. HELLO FLAVOR! This easy addition provides so many layers of taste, beginning with the intense acidity of the tomatoes, which could be very welcome in such a wealthy casserole.
  • Pimentos. Tender, tangy, and candy. Not a fan? Chopped roasted pink peppers would work too.
  • Cheese. I exploit a mixture of cheddar (for taste) and mozzarella (for a superior soften).
  • Spices. Floor paprika and cumin; I exploit common (candy) paprika, however you should utilize smoked paprika for a little bit smoky oomph.
  • Hen. Hold it straightforward and choose up a rotisserie rooster for this recipe, or use cooked rooster. It may be cooked and cubed (strive my Baked Hen Breast or Air Fryer Hen Breast), or use Crockpot Shredded Hen.

My Ideas for the Finest Hen Spaghetti

  • Cook dinner the Pasta to Al Dente. That is vital! If you happen to don’t need your pasta bloated and ugh, it’s worthwhile to undercook it barely. It’s going to end cooking within the oven.
  • Shred Your Personal Cheese for the Finest Soften. The traditional model of rooster spaghetti makes use of Velveeta and irrespective of your ideas on this controversial topic, Velveeta melts BEAUTIFULLY. Retailer-bought shreds? Not a lot—it’s coated with an anti-caking agent that impacts its capacity to soften easily. So if you’d like that ultra-smooth, velvety soften, shred the cheese from a block.
  • Work It Into Your Meal Plan. After I’m making a rooster casserole like rooster spaghetti, I prefer to make rooster for dinner the night time earlier than and plan for leftovers. I put aside what I would like for the casserole the following day and we eat the remaining for dinner. 
Baked cheesy chicken spaghetti casserole with shredded chicken and peppers in a white dish, topped with melted cheese and black pepper.

Recipe Variations

There are MANY methods to make rooster spaghetti. Right here’s some inspo.

  • Make It Italian Model. Use diced tomatoes with Italian herbs and swap the pimento with sun-dried tomatoes. Use 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. As an alternative of paprika and cumin, use Italian seasoning.
  • Add Mushrooms. Swap out the pink bell pepper for Sautéed Mushrooms.
  • Wilt in Some Spinach. Stir a bundle of child spinach into the sauce for some further veggie goodness.
  • Add Some Crispy-Crunch. Mix panko breadcrumbs with melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle this combination over the rooster spaghetti earlier than baking.

Hen spaghetti is the final word crowd-pleasing casserole! With Rotel, creamy sauce, and melty cheese, it is easy to see why it is such successful.

Stop your display screen from going darkish

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided, plus further for cooking the pasta
  • 12 ounces complete wheat spaghetti or common spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus further for the pasta
  • 1 small yellow onion diced into ¼-inch items (about 1 cup)
  • 1 pink bell pepper diced into ¼-inch items (about 1 cup)
  • 3 garlic cloves minced, about 1 tablespoon
  • 1 ¼ cups low-sodium rooster broth
  • 1 cup complete milk
  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature (okay to swap lowered fats; don’t use fats free)
  • 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with inexperienced chiles of their juices
  • 1 4-ounce jar chopped pimentos drained
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
  • ½ cup shredded complete milk mozzarella cheese
  • ½ teaspoon floor paprika
  • ½ teaspoon floor cumin
  • 4 cups chopped rotisserie or cooked rooster or use cooked, shredded rooster

  • Place a rack within the heart of your oven and warmth to 375°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

  • Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Cook dinner the pasta to al dente in keeping with the bundle directions. Drain and return to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to stop sticking.

  • In the meantime, in a big skillet, warmth 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium warmth. Add the onion and bell pepper and prepare dinner, stirring, till starting to melt, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and prepare dinner for 1 minute. Switch the vegetable combination to the ready baking dish.

  • Return the skillet to medium-low warmth and add the broth, milk, and cream cheese. Whisk till the sauce is scorching and the cream cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Add the undrained can of tomatoes, pimentos, ½ cup cheddar, mozzarella, paprika, cumin, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Convey to a low simmer and prepare dinner, stirring often, till the sauce has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

  • Add the cooked spaghetti, rooster, and cheese sauce to the baking dish with the greens. Stir to mix. High with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar.

  • Bake uncovered till effervescent and golden on prime, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for five minutes earlier than serving.

  • TO STORE: Switch leftovers to an hermetic container or wrap them within the unique casserole dish. Refrigerate for as much as 4 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Heat particular person parts of the rooster spaghetti within the microwave, or reheat it in a baking dish lined with foil in a 350ºF oven.
  • TO FREEZE: Switch leftovers to an hermetic container and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.
  • FREEZER MEAL PREP: Freeze unbaked with out cheese topping for as much as 6 months. High and bake for an extra 10 minutes; cowl for all however the final 10 minutes. 

Energy: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 27gFats: 21gSaturated Fats: 10gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 6gLdl cholesterol: 89mgSodium: 514mgPotassium: 354mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1001IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 227mgIron: 2mg

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