Chicken spaghetti casserole comfort food heaven! It combines tender chicken, a creamy, dreamy, savory homemade sauce with a hint of spice and 3 kinds of cheese.
Season the chicken breasts with seasoned salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown.
Remove, and allow to rest before cutting into very small pieces (think slightly bigger than pea sized)
Cook the pasta
In a large pot of boiling water, add the salt, and cook the spaghetti until tender. Drain, and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, make the sauce and preheat the oven to 375° F
Add the butter to the skillet you cooked the chicken in and add the onion.
Cook until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour, garlic powder and Italian seasoning over the onions and garlic. Mix it all in and cook for 30 seconds until it is bubbly.
Whisk in the stock scraping the bottom of the skillet to get all the browned bits up (they add flavor to the sauce). If the sauce gets too thick, thin it with some stock.
Add the cream, and ½ cup each of parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
Whisk until smooth and thickened.
Add the tomatoes and chiles to the sauce, and mix.
Combine
Add the sauce and cooked chicken to the cooked spaghetti, and mix using tongs to really blend it well.
Bake
Add the whole mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.
Sprinkle over ½ cup of cheddar, and ½ cup mozzarella.
Bake at 375°F until bubbling around the edges and golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and allow it cool slightly before serving.
Serve
Notes
ChickenLeftover rotisserie chicken can of course be used, but some really great flavor will hit your sauce if you cook fresh chicken. When we whisk in the liquids, we scrape up the brown bits from cooking the chicken for ultimate deliciousness.PastaBreaking spaghetti noodles. We do this because it makes it much easier to scoop out of the casserole dish onto plate.Break the spaghetti inside a bag so you don’t fling pasta all over your kitchen. Ask me how I know this.SauceIt will look like you have way too much creamy sauce than you need, but trust me! It will absorb a little as it bakes vs drying out.How to store leftoversStore leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until thoroughly warmed.Substitutions/AdditionsChicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts. Just be sure to cut them into small bite size pieces so they mix well into the sauce.