This easy chicken spaghetti recipe is ready in only 30 minutes! It's made with rotisserie chicken, Rotel tomatoes, Velveeta cheese, and cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups. Wildly popular for its creamy, cheesy, and spicy flavors and texture. This is serious comfort food!
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Rotisserie chicken has been a game changer for so many people, including me! It's a time saver because it's already perfectly cooked and seasoned. A couple more recipes of mine that use it (and have a nice spicy kick!) are King Ranch Chicken and Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole.
Why This Recipe Works
I'm excited to share with you this easy family dinner recipe. Most everybody loves spaghetti, especially kids since it's fun to eat.
Rotel Chicken Spaghetti is perfectly versatile! It's a quick and easy skillet dinner, or pour it into a casserole dish, like I do, and enjoy it as a casserole. I've had many people tell me that they top it with bread crumbs and melted butter before baking. How outstanding is that!
The Rotel tomatoes add that classic hint of heat that this recipe is famous for. Thankfully, you can control the heat level by simply using the Original, Mild, or Hot Rotel Tomatoes. Not everybody likes to scorch their tongue, lol. I like the original but my brother likes the habanero Rotel tomatoes. Ouch!
Budget-Friendly Dinner
Most spaghetti recipes are budget-friendly. This particular recipe costs around $21.95 using popular brand names (as of September 2024) and feeds about 8 grown people.
You can lower the cost by using generic or store brands. You don't have to use Rotel tomatoes; use the store-brand diced tomatoes with chilis. Substitute the Velveeta Cheese with the store brand version.
Why Make this Crazy Good Comfort Food
This is a favorite quick and easy dinner that everyone loves. It's definitely southern comfort food. I know that "Velveeta" cheese is not a healthy choice so we don't eat it on a regular basis.
However, when we're craving comfort food and we've been eating healthy and working out on a regular basis, we'll splurge and make an exception for this recipe! Velveeta cheese is the best option for this recipe. It's super creamy and blends great with the noodles and other ingredients.
Ingredients for Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
please scroll down to the printable recipe card for ingredient measurements.
- Rotisserie chicken - I love this easy shortcut! It's already seasoned and cooked, and it's almost always readily available at the grocery store.
- Spaghetti noodles - spaghetti noodles are commonly used but you can use other kinds of pasta (bowtie, penne, linguini).
- Velveeta cheese - this kind of cheese is very creamy and works well for this recipe. Substitute cheddar cheese if desired but see the Recipe Notes if you do.
- Cream of mushroom soup and Cream of chicken soup - these add flavor and make the sauce extra creamy and smooth as silk.
- Rotel tomatoes - add a nice little kick! It's canned diced tomatoes with green chilis and is available at different heat levels. Use mild, regular, or extra hot.
- Chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery mixture - we call this the "trinity" in our house. I like to save time with the frozen version!
- Butter - for sauteeing the trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery).
- Salt and black pepper to taste - we leave the salt out because the soups and cheese are fairly salty!
Substitutions
- Cooked ground beef instead of chicken (a reader told me about this option; use 1 pound).
- Three cups of cooked and chopped chicken breasts, thighs, or chicken tenders instead of rotisserie chicken.
- Instead of the frozen chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery, you can use the fresh vegetables instead. Use about 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped bell pepper, and ¼ cup chopped celery.
- Don't like mushrooms? Use two cans of cream of chicken soup!
- Use queso instead of Velveeta or salsa instead of Rotel tomatoes
Delicious Add-Ins
Thanks to my readers, I've received many recipe additions you may also want to consider. I have not tried these, but they do sound really tasty!
- Baby spinach
- Sliced mushrooms
- Green peas
- Sliced jalapenos
- Smoked sausage
- Top with parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and butter
- Top with crushed, buttered Ritz crackers
What to Serve With It
The recipe makes about 6 generous servings. Serve with rolls or french bread to stretch it even further.
How to Make Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
You can enjoy this right out of the pot on the stove! Or you can pour it all in a casserole dish and finish it in the oven. Easy peasy!
(1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the meat from the Rotisserie chicken and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
(2) Cut the velveeta cheese into squares and set aside.
(3) Boil spaghetti noodles per instructions on the package. Add 1-2 teaspoon salt to water, if desired. Use a large pot to boil spaghetti noodles; at least a 5-quart pot and stir frequently while boiling! Drain the noodles when they are cooked.
(4) While the spaghetti is cooking, add the butter to a 5-quart pot (y'all know I pulled out my favorite Calphalon pot for this) and melt over medium heat. Once melted, add the frozen chopped onion, bell peppers, and celery mixture. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
(5) Then add both soups, undrained Rotel tomatoes, cubed cheese, and black pepper. Stir with a whisk until the cheese is completely melted.
(6) Add the cooked, drained spaghetti and the chicken to the pot with the cheesy Rotel mixture. Stir well.
(7) Serve immediately! Alternatively, you could pour the Rotel chicken spaghetti mixture into a large casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 10 minutes to get it nice and hot. However, baking it may thicken it up more. If this happens, add a small amount of milk or chicken broth to create a more creamy texture.
You'll love this spaghetti! And you'll also love these easy spaghetti recipes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Rotel Chicken Spaghetti freezes very well! Make sure it's completely cooled off before placing it into an airtight container (such as a ziptop plastic bag) to prevent ice crystals from forming. Enjoy it again for up to 3 months! When you're ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then heat in a 350F oven (or heat in the microwave on 50% power) until piping hot. You may need to add a little milk if it seems too thick.
There are many great sides that go well with this dish! My first choice would be something light such as a green salad because the casserole itself is very filling. You can stretch the meal further by serving with toasty garlic bread. Or try these delicious Southern Style Green Beans from Soulfully Made.
The leftovers (if you have any leftovers) for this cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe are absolutely fantastic the next day, too. Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer to use BPA-free glass containers with locking lids. Check out this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids.
I think the quickest way to reheat cold leftovers is to use the microwave. Place the desired amount in a bowl and heat at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and repeat until it's warmed to your liking. You can also choose to reheat in a 350F oven until piping hot. Either way, you may need to add a little milk if it seems too thick.
Helpful Tips
I use a couple of shortcuts that help speed up the prep time, which comes in handy on a busy weeknight when hungry people are looking at you and wondering when you'll ring the dinner bell, LOL.
- One short cut is to use rotisserie chicken. Who's the genius that came up with this wonderful, delicious, time-saving ready to eat fully cooked chicken!
- The other short cut is to use the frozen chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery blend. I always have a bag of this stuff in my freezer. I use it in chili, jambalaya, and omelets.
More Chicken and Pasta Recipes
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Recipe
Easy Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
Equipment
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Pasta strainer
- Large (5-qt) pot
- measuring cup
- whisk
- Casserole dish (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 Rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces See the Notes section for alternatives
- 1 lb Spaghetti noodles
- 1 lb Velvetta cheese (cut into cubes)
- 1 can Cream of chicken soup (10.5-ounce can)
- 1 can Cream of mushroom soup (10.5-ounce can)
- 1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes (10-ounce can) undrained (choose your level of heat)
- 1 cup Frozen, chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery blend (use 2 cups if desired)
- ¼ cup Butter
- Salt and black pepper to taste (we leave the salt out because the soups and cheese are fairly salty).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the meat from the chicken and rough chop into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Cut the cheese into squares and set aside.
- Boil spaghetti noodles per instructions on the package. Add 1-2 teaspoon salt to water, if desired. Use a large pot to boil spaghetti noodles; at least a 5-quart pot and stir frequently while boiling! Drain the noodles when they are cooked.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, add the butter to a 5-quart pot and melt over medium heat. Once melted, add the chopped onion, bell peppers, and celery. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add both soups, tomatoes, cubed cheese, and black pepper. Stir with a whisk until the cheese is completely melted.
- Add the cooked, drained spaghetti and the chicken to the pot with the cheesy rotel mixture. Stir well.
- Serve immediately! Alternatively, you could pour the Rotel chicken spaghetti into a large casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 10 minutes to get it nice and hot. However, baking it may thicken it up more. If this happens, add a small amount of milk or chicken broth to create a more creamy texture.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Tammie Owens
Is it possible to make day before?
Anne Clark
Hi Tammy! Yes, you can definitely make this the day before. If the spaghetti seems extra thick, just add a little milk to it, and stir.