Texas "Chicken Spaghetti" Recipe - Comfortable Food (2024)

This comforting Texas chicken spaghetti recipe is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that will have everyone at the table licking their plates. This under 1 hour dinner features juicy chicken, flavorful tomatoes, and hearty spaghetti pasta smothered in a Velveeta cheesy sauce.

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⭐ Why this recipe works

This Texas chicken spaghetti recipe is the ultimate Southern comfort food that is full of flavor and perfect for home cooks to make without a fuss. It's a delicious oven-baked recipe that combines cubed chicken in a creamy sauce with chile, tomatoes, cheese, and spaghetti.

The combination of these ingredients makes for a dish that is both comforting and tasty. Additionally, this dish is easy to make, so you can enjoy it without having to spend hours in the kitchen.

The recipe is perfect for families on a budget as most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry, and it easily feeds a large family. This one-pot meal similar to my taco spaghetti recipe is great for a quick midweek meal after a busy working day and can easily be prepared in advance to save time. For busy weekdays check out my collection of best pasta recipes with few ingredients.

The flavors of the slightly spicy creamy chicken sauce and the Velveeta cheese are a match made in heaven - and kids absolutely love it! Check my collection of comforting chicken casserole recipes for more ideas.

The recipe is also versatile and can be changed to suit people's taste buds as well as reducing the prep time by substituting ingredients for what you have on hand, making this creamy Texan chicken recipe a must-have on your weekly meal planner. If you are looking for more pasta inspiration I highly recommend you to try my olive garden giant cheese stuffed shells recipe, it is super easy to make and it taste unbelievable!

🍽 Key ingredients

The main ingredient for this delicious Texas chicken spaghetti casserole is the Rotel tomatoes, giving it a spicy, rich flavor.

Chicken- Chicken is the main ingredient in this recipe and gives it its protein. Choose skinless chicken breasts for this dish.

Onion & garlic- Onion and garlic add flavor to the dish. You can use fresh or powdered forms of both of these ingredients.

Pasta- Pasta is used as the base for this dish, and spaghetti is just perfect for this casserole. Learn more about differenttypes of Pasta and types of pasta sauce you can use for your meals.

Sauce- The sauce for this dish is made from chicken soup, butter, and Rotel diced tomatoes. This gives the dish its creaminess and heartiness.

Cheese- Velveeta cheese gives this dish its signature cheesy flavor. It's good for melting and makes the sauce nice and smooth.

Substitutions

Chicken

You could substitute the chicken breast for chicken thighs, or to save time on prep, you could use rotisserie chicken.

Cheese

An excellent substitute for Velveeta cheese is shredded cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack.

Pasta

If you don't have spaghetti pasta on hand, you could use other types such as elbow macaroni, penne, or rigatoni.

Additions

Vegetarian version

To make this dish vegetarian, swap the chicken for tofu or mushrooms and the chicken soup for cream of mushroom soup.

🔪 How to make

This chicken spaghetti recipe is easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. First, you will need to cook the chicken and pasta. Then, make the sauce combine everything in a baking dish, and bake it in the oven. That's it!

Preparations

• Finely chop the onion and garlic.
• Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. (2 minutes less than the package instructions).
• Dice the Velveeta cheese into small cubes.
• Cut each chicken breast into small cubes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius).

Cooking instructions

Step 1
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chopped onion and garlic until softened. Add the cubed chicken and cook for 6 - 7 minutes until it's browned and no longer pink.

Step 2
Stir in the chicken soup, cubed Velveeta, and diced tomatoes with green chilies.

Step 3
Add the cooked spaghetti and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4
Transfer everything to a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Step 5
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

💭 Cooking tips

Extra cheesy

If you love a crusted cheese topping, sprinkle some grated Velveeta cheese on top of the casserole before baking it in the oven.

Don't overcook the spaghetti

Since the pasta continues to cook in the oven, you only need to boil it until it's al dente. Otherwise, the pasta will become slightly mushy after being baked for 30 minutes.

Thick sauce

If the sauce is too thick, you can make it thinner by adding a small amount of chicken stock to it.

📖Recipe Variations

This easy chicken spaghetti recipe is versatile, and there are many ways you can change up the ingredients to suit your taste. Here are a few ideas.

Extra spicy

If you love spicy food, make the Texas chicken spaghetti with Rotel tomatoes extra spicy by adding 1 or 2 chopped jalapenos or green chiles or a teaspoon of chili powder.

Extra meaty

A great addition to this recipe is half a cup of chorizo or bacon. Chorizo adds a lovely smokey, spiced paprika flavor to the dish and crispy bacon adds a salty crunch. Check my chorizo pasta with zucchini for a delight dinner.

Extra veggies

Make it heartier with some garden veggies. Some great additions are cherry tomatoes (halved), diced yellow bell pepper, chopped zucchini, mushrooms (quartered), shredded carrot, and chopped eggplant.

If you are looking to cook using another type of pasta; then check out my list of best gemelli pasta recipes.

🥗 What to serve with

This Texas chicken spaghetti recipe is a complete meal on its own, but if you're looking to add something else to the table, a simple green salad or some garlic bread would be a great addition. Or you can try some of these easy creations to pair with it!

Sauteed cabbage and bacon

An easy and flavorful side dish to make while the Texas chicken casserole bakes in the oven issauteed cabbage.

The hearty dish is prepared in a skillet and flavored with paprika and cayenne pepper to give the cabbage a lovely vibrant flavor that pairs well with the creamy spiced chicken spaghetti.

Roasted potatoes

Theseoven-roasted potatoesare crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They make a great side dish for Texas chicken spaghetti or any other casserole.

To make them, simply slice some potatoes into wedges, toss them with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic and bake in a preheated oven.

Pico de gallo

This 10-minute fresh and zesty pico de gallo is a great addition to the table. It's perfect for scooping on top of Texas chicken. To make it, combine chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime.

🙋 Frequently asked questions

🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating

This Texas chicken spaghetti casserole tastes even better the following day if there's any leftover. It can be reheated or eaten cold and stored in the fridge or freezer.

Fridge- Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer- To freeze, transfer the leftovers to a freezer-safe container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge for reheating purposes.

Reheating- Reheat individual portions in the microwave for a few minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat the entire leftovers in a casserole dish covered with foil in a preheated oven until heated through.

If you like my Texas chicken spaghetti casserole recipe, try one of these delicious comfort food recipes next. Including my quick and easy texas roadhouse chili and chicken and shrimp carbonara olive garden recipes.

Check out my fantastic four cheese stuffed manicotti recipe that you can have it on your table in less than 1 hour!

👪 Serving size

This recipe serves 4-6 people, or it can easily be scaled to cater to more guests. I usually double the quantity and freeze one for a quick meal during busy weeknights.

Texas chicken spaghetti recipe is a creamy, hearty, and flavorful dish that's perfect for any occasion. It's packed with chicken, cheese, spaghetti, and a creamy sauce that will have everyone at your table asking for more. Give it a go, and let me know what you think!

If you have a busy week I recommend you to try my 20 minute penne carbonara recipe.

Check out my collection of best chicken cutlet recipes and sunday dinner soul food recipes.

📋 Recipe