Tex Mex Chicken Spaghetti
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This recipe for chicken spaghetti is your ticket to a hearty and supremely satisfying meal. Succulent chicken and tender pasta noodles are drenched in a satiny Velveeta and cream cheese sauce, covered in more cheese, and baked to bubbly perfection.
Today’s chicken spaghetti recipe is as rich and filling as recipes get. Make sure that you bring your appetites to the table for this Tex Mex comfort food meal!
I love recipes like this when I have a bunch of really hungry people to feed. With juicy chicken, hearty pasta, and plenty of cheese, Tex Mex spaghetti is intensely rich and satisfying. Whether it’s weeknight dinner or a weekend get-together, you can toss a salad on the table with this dish and call it done.
Table of Contents
For more satisfying pasta dishes, check out my Chili Mac and Cheese, Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake, and these Ham and Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups.
- Chopped Chicken – To keep things simple, I prefer to get the chopped chicken for this recipe from a rotisserie chicken. You can also chop up leftover chicken. Be sure to use boneless and skinless pieces to minimize greasiness.
- Spaghetti – Spaghetti noodles work great, and I find they are more manageable when broken into thirds. Feel free to sub in another long noodle like fettuccine or lo mein but avoid super thin pastas like angel hair. You could also try other shaped pasta like rotini twists, penne, bowties, or macaroni.
- Condensed Soup – For convenience, I like to use a canned cream of chicken soup, but that’s not your only option. You can also use my Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
- Cheeses – With creamy Velveeta, silky cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and Jack cheeses, recipes don’t get much cheesier than this. Some chicken spaghetti recipes call for 16 oz of Velveeta, but I find that amount overwhelming, so I’ve reduced it by half.
- Rotel Tomatoes – Look for this combination of spicy diced tomatoes and green chiles in the canned tomato aisle or in the international aisle at your supermarket.
- Seasonings – I incorporate savory ranch and spicy chili powder into this recipe to give it that Tex Mex flair. You can easily find these at the store or try making your own Ranch Seasoning or Homemade Chili Powder.
- Prepare the Oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 13X9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook the Pasta. Break the noodles into thirds and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside, without rinsing.
- Make Cheese Sauce. Reserve ¼ cup of the Rotel tomatoes. Then, combine the remainder of the tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, Velveeta cheese, cream cheese, milk, ranch seasoning, and chili powder in a large pot. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture over low heat until blended and all the cheese has melted.
- Add Chicken & Pasta. Stir in the chopped chicken and cooked pasta until thoroughly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Top & Bake. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and Jack cheeses over the top of the dish, along with the reserved Rotel tomatoes. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Rest & Serve. Your chicken spaghetti casserole is ready when it is warm throughout and all the cheese is bubbly and melted. I recommend giving it 5-10 minutes to rest before serving.
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Since Tex Mex spaghetti is so incredibly rich and filling, I recommend keeping any pairings light and simple.
I like to include veggies and/or salad of some sort. A classic garden salad with your favorite toppings or my Thunderbird Salad would be great starters for your meal.
For sides, I recommend a fresh, crunchy recipe like this Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw or some Easy Roasted Vegetables for even more veggie goodness.
Get ready for a treat! Tex Mex chicken spaghetti is much different than your classic spaghetti and meatballs. It also isn’t your classic chicken alfredo or chicken fettuccine. In my opinion, this Mexican-American mashup is even better!
Chopped chicken and cooked spaghetti noodles are combined with a rich cheese sauce and baked to ooey-gooey cheesy perfection. The sauce is made from a combination of Velveeta, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, milk, and spicy Rotel tomatoes. The casserole is topped off with cheddar, Jack cheeses, and more Rotel tomatoes.
This rich and creamy, baked pasta dish is a cheesy chicken masterpiece and Tex Mex comfort food at its finest.
Definitely! If you end up with loads of leftovers, or if you would simply like to make extra, freezing is an excellent option for chicken spaghetti.
Make sure that you allow the casserole to cool all the way before packaging it up. Stored in airtight freezer-safe containers, leftover Tex Mex spaghetti will last for up to 2 months in the freezer.
For smaller amounts of leftovers, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for around 3-5 days.
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Tex Mex Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 lbs rotisserie chicken chopped (See Note 1)
- 1 lb spaghetti broken into thirds
- 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup 10.5-ounce cans
- 8 oz Velveeta cheese (See Note 2)
- 10 oz Ro*Tel Tomatoes
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tsp Ranch Seasoning
- 1 tsp chili seasoning
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Jack cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Break the spaghetti into thirds. Then cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse.
- In a large pot, combine the 2 cans of condensed chicken soup, Velveeta cheese, Ro*tel with liquid (reserve a 1/4 cup to top casserole), cream cheese, milk, Ranch Seasoning and chili powder. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses have melted.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and chicken. Stir to mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top with the shredded cheddar and Jack cheeses and reserved Ro*Tel.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese has melted.
Video
Notes
- If not using rotisserie chicken that has been cooked: Place the chicken breasts in a large pot, cover with water. Cook uncovered over medium heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Don’t boil the chicken. Allow to cool, then chop into bite size pieces or shred using two forks.
- I found using the 16 ounce block of Velveeta too rich (which is the typical amount in most versions of this), but feel free if you like.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Looks like a good one, Kevin, very nice
It will fill you up. Great Tex Mex comfort food Charlie.
Hi Kevin, being from west tx (Odessa/Midland) I am always craving tex/mex food. So I cook a lot of it as here in Arkansas I find most of mexican food pretty bland. I added somethings to your recipe. LOL…cause I didn’t have a few things. I can’t afford chicken breast & I had leg quarters left over from chicken & dumplings I made. So I boiled them up, shredded & added to this recipe I think dark meat has more flavor anyways. I didn’t have sharp cheddar BUT I did have some grated pepper jack & monterrey jack cheese. So I topped it off with the pepper jack & then monterrey jack cheese. This turned out great!!!
Fantastic, so glad you enjoyed this one Jolene. Thanks for the feedback!
Made this for dinner last night and craved a second helping in the middle of the night. It’s perfectly creamy and SO good. Pure comfort food.
Thanks, Don!
Kevin, I know this isn’t the right forum for this but I’ve been following you for years mostly under my old email address. I forgot to add your blog to me new email so I’ve missed out for a year or so. I added you and had saved several of your recipes using the red heart ❤ at the top of the page. Now it’s not there and I can’t figure out how to access all the recipes I saved. I saw the little login link at the bottom but it’s not taking my email address. Maybe that’s why I can’t access my saves. Why would I have been logged out? I’m frustrated because I wanted to add a few more and cook one of the saved. Sorry to be a pain. I also want to cook this recipe it looks and sounds divine!
What to do?
Thank you,
Gwyn
Sorry for the late reply, but it should be there. Let me know if its not.