Yum. This easy cheesy chicken spaghetti is delicious.! Not only is this casserole delicious but it will feed six and if you do have leftovers this dish is even better the next day.
During these times that we are trying to eat from our pantry’s, make meals stretch and feed the family dishes everyone will love, this dish checks all of those boxes along with the economical box. If you are feeding a crowd, double, triple, how many times over it works wonderfully. This is actually a great recipe to feed a crowd.
Every item in this recipe can actually be from your pantry expect for the fresh ingredients like onions and peppers, and of course the cheese. I used fresh mushrooms and chicken that I had leftover, but you could use jarred mushrooms and canned chicken! I did top it with a mixture of cheddar cheese and Italian bread crumbs but you could leave the bread crumbs out all together.
My boys loved this growing up. When my youngest son moved from home and shared a place with friends, I’d make a huge recipe of this and send it home with him! This makes a great dish to serve a crowd, and it is a perfect make ahead dish that you can freeze before baking!
easy cheesy chicken spaghetti.
So the main ingredients in this dish, other than the spices, oil and a little butter are spaghetti, bell peppers (I used red and green), onions, cooked chicken, mushrooms, pimiento, and of course cream of mushroom soup. Some recipes call for cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. You can add both if you like. I’ve seen recipes that add a can of rotel tomatoes instead of the pimiento.
As you can see most of the ingredients are common ingredients most of us always have on hand. I ALWAYS have cream of mushroom soup so I buy them in 6’s like you get a Sams club or online at amazon for a 4 pack. Here’s a link for the amazon 4-pack: https://amzn.to/2Wi5dbg.
easy cheesy chicken spaghetti.
Keeping the “cooking from the pantry” theme going, you can open a can of green beans to serve with this and that would be a great addition. Here’s my simple recipe for canned green beans: https://the2spoons.com/taste-like-fresh-easy-green-beans-with-pork/.
My Mom would have probably thrown in a green salad and bread because she always served complete meals that covered the food wheel and she would include dessert!
Here’s the easy recipe! Hope you enjoy!
Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 2-3 cups cooked chicken
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I use a combination of mild and sharp)
- 2-3 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed ( Optional, but I really like it in the dish)
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 6-8 large mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 4 oz jar pimentos, drained
- 1 can sliced ripe olives, optional
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup additional grated cheddar cheese for the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dice the chicken from a chicken you have cooked or a rotisserie chicken. I cooked mine in the instant pot. I placed the chicken in the pot, adding water up about 3/4 to the top of the chicken. I added 2 bay leaves, a stalk of celery, 2 carrots, 1/2 onion and a little salt. I set the Instant Pot for 30 minutes and allowed it to release on it's on. I then remove the chicken and strain the broth, discarding the vegetables. When cool, you can dice or tear the chicken into pieces. You will probably have more chicken than you need left, so use it for another recipe. If you have a rotisserie chicken it will work, you'll just need some chicken broth in your pantry.
- Cook your spaghetti according to packaged instructions.
- While your pasta is cooking heat the butter and oil in a large pot. Add your onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until the water has evaporated from the mushrooms and they are starting to brown. Don't salt your mushrooms until they begin to brown because the salt will just release the water. When they start to brown add the seasoning salt and pepper. Now add the cream of mushroom soup, and your chicken broth. Cook and stir until your soup has completely heated through and all is combined. At this point I turn off the heat, allow the sauce to cool a little, then add the pimentos and olives.
- When the spaghetti is cooked, drain and add it to a container large enough you can toss all the ingredients in. I usually add a touch of oil so the pasta won't stick. Add the chicken and toss. Then add the sauce that has cooled and has all the remaining ingredients in it, along with the cup of cheese. I combine again the pasta, chicken the sauce and cheese. You're going to add cheese to the top so you want the cheese combined throughout your dish. Now that it's all combined, dot with the Velveeta cubes and top with the remaining cheese.
- Place mixture into a prepared casserole dish. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until bubbly, then remove the foil or cover and add your cheese. Cook an additional 15 minutes or until your cheese has melted. Enjoy!