The whole family is going to go crazy for this Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel. This is the easiest pasta casserole and everyone is going to flip for this recipe!
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Why you'll love this recipe
This classic casserole is a family favorite. Mom's love it because it's so simple to make, leftovers heat up great on day two, plus it freezes well! If there are leftovers of course!
I've made this recipe more times than I can count. It's perfect for weeknight meals, potlucks or gifting to a friend. I think it's all the cheesy goodness that makes it so popular!
Anything that's made with simple pantry ingredients gets five stars in my book!
Ingredients
For the exact measurements, scroll to the recipe card.
- Cooked chicken breasts - leftover rotisserie chicken works great for this, you can even use leftover crockpot chicken and gravy. Poached chicken or any leftover chicken.
- Spaghetti - linguine, fettuccini, bucatini - you can even use short pasta if you'd prefer (but then it wouldn't be chicken spaghetti with rotel of course).
- Cream of chicken soup - celery or cream of mushroom soup can be substituted.
- Rotel Tomatoes - Rotel is actually canned diced tomatoes with chilies. It's a little spicy and the perfect combination for this dish. If you can't find it, use canned diced tomatoes combined with 2 tablespoons of canned diced green chilies.
- Cream cheese - for the perfect creamy goodness!
- Shredded cheese - I used Colby, but you can use cheddar, mozzarella or even provolone.
- Evaporated milk - no evaporated milk? Use cream or whole milk instead.
- Ranch dressing - a heaping tablespoon of dry seasoning.
- For a crispy cheesy crust, crunch up Ritz or Goldfish crackers (goldfish are my personal favorite!) You'll need about ½ cup and just crunch them up a bit and sprinkle on the top of the casserole over the cheese.
Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
Equipment
- 9x13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 3 cups boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and diced
- 16 ounces spaghetti noodles break into 3 pieces
- 21 ounces cream of chicken soup that's two 10.5 ounce cans
- 10 ounces can of RoTel Tomatoes tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 3 cups cheddar cheese
- 10 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon ranch dressing (dry mix)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
- Cook the spaghetti noodles in well salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pot, combine the Rotel tomatoes (undrained), cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk and cream cheese. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted.
- Add the powdered ranch dressing, shredded chicken and cooked pasta. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through and the dish is hot and bubbly.
- Looking for that golden brown top? Just tuck the Rotel Chicken Spaghetti casserole under the broiler for 3-4 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Instructions
FAQ's
No, there's no need to cover the casserole while it's baking.
Yes this dish can be made up to three days ahead! Seal with foil and place in the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake it, just preheat the oven and bake as directed. This is such an easy dinner!
If you're short on time, skip baking it in the oven. Personally, I love the baked, crusty, cheesy finish you get from baking.
Deb's tips and variations
To get a golden brown crust, place the cooked casserole under the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't get burnt, just golden crispy brown!
- Substitute sour cream for the cream cheese for a more creamy sauce. You can also add bell peppers for more veggie goodness.
- Rotel tomatoes are simply fire-roasted tomatoes, green chilies, lime, and fresh cilantro. If you can't find your own Rotel tomatoes, substitute with fresh salsa.
- Substitute Velveeta cheese for cream cheese if you'd prefer.
Related Recipes
- Monterey Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Ultimate Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
I'd love to hear from readers who make this recipe. Please leave a comment below!
Maureen says
This recipe is great for any weeknight meal. It's easy and appeals to everyone tastes. I like it with mozzarella cheese. I serve it with a big tossed salad to round out the meal.
Thanks for another great recipe. Definitely a hit in this house.
MaryB says
I’ve been looking for recipes that are easy and use ingredients I often have on hand. This one looks perfect and sounds so tasty.
Rene says
I would put some shredded jalapeno cheese in mine, cause at my house will like that kick. On the side definitely a cool spinach salad simmered just a tad in some bacon grease for that little extra flavor
Brittany says
This chicken spaghetti recipe definitely looks like a crowd pleaser!
Darla White says
That would be my change also & kudos on side spinach too. We use lettuce and call it wilted lettuce but spinach is so much better for us. Yum!
Gladys C Baisa says
This recipe has everything my family loves & is easy to make & budget conscious. I served it with garlic bread and a salad of fresh lettuce and tomatoes from my backyard Maui garden. It disappeared as fast as I served it!
Bowl Me Over says
Gladys that sounds amazing, I'm so happy it's a hit with your family. YOur dinner sounds amazing!
Sharlene says
Made for dinner last night and I loved it! Just ate some leftovers for lunch too, and it tasted even better.. I did make a few adjustments..
I went ahead and used the whole block of cream cheese bc I'm a fanatic! I substituted 1 can of the cream of chicken for 1 can cream of mushroom, added an extra can of RoTel bt drained that one and an extra 1/2 T of ranch.. yum yum! I did freeze half bt w/o the cheese.. I'll add that when I reheat it.. ty for sharing 😍 Will check out your other recipes also
Debra Clark says
Oooh that sounds AMAZING Sharlene! Thanks for sharing your substitutions. Isn't this the yummiest? Glad it was a hit, thanks so much for supporting the blog - enjoy!!!
Nola says
I served the Rotel Chicken Spaghetti with a chopped salad and garlic bread. My family loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
Bowl Me Over says
Fabulous Nola, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Debbie says
I've made this and it's so good! What I serve it with is a nice salad, or with cole slaw!
Bowl Me Over says
That sounds terrific Debbie.
Gina Karber says
I would serve this with a green salad!
Zach says
I made this for the very first time last night, and after everyone took a bite, they all exclaimed, “File this away so that it’s in your rotation!” It was very good. I like the little “kick” the Rotel tomatoes give it. It’s just an all-around yummy recipe on a cold and dreary day. Really hit the spot.
I think, next time, I will crunch up Goldfish or Ritz crackers as you suggested to get a crispy crust with the cheese topping. May also do one can of cream of chicken and cheddar cheese soup instead of two cans of cream of chicken. But really, this recipe is perfect as-is. Delicious.
Shelley says
What is the flavor of this dish? Is it overly “ranch” tasting? How spicy?
Bowl Me Over says
I would say the spiciness of Rotel Chicken Spaghetti is light spicy, a warmth rather than heat and no, not overly "ranchy". If you don't like ranch dressing, you a packet of Italian salad dressing mix (that's the dry mix, not the liquid kind). Or just use a tablespoon of the ranch dressing. Let me know what you think Shelley! Enjoy the recipe!
Brenda W Foster says
I would make a 7 layer salad to go with this delicious recipe!
Bowl Me Over says
That sounds delicious Brenda, it would go great with the Rotel Chicken Spaghetti Recipe.
Gina says
This recipe looks amazing! I am going to make it. I think corn would be a good side for this dish.
Whitney says
This was really good! I was looking for a chicken spaghetti recipe without velvetta so that’s I why I chose this one. Highly recommend it!
Bowl Me Over says
Yay!! Glad you enjoyed the recipe Whitney, thanks for coming back to share, I appreciate it!
Heather says
Would love to try this recipe but not found of cheese. Is it still delicious without the cheese or is it just as good with mozzarella cheese?
Bowl Me Over says
That's a great question! If it's the cream cheese you don't like, I'd substitute ricotta cheese and if it's the cheddar cheese then I'd use mozzarella cheese or even better would be pepper jack. In fact I think I'm going to make that version. That's a great idea Heather! Enjoy the casserole 😋
Laura says
Mine experience was a tale of woe—can opener broke while trying to open Rotel and was forced to use 1/2 jar of pasta sauce in its place. Left at home the can of evaporated milk I had specifically bought for the recipe. Used 2% milk in its place. I will try again with recipe as written—I love Mexican food. But have to say my messed up version was still pretty good!!! (Did I mention I am not the world’s best cook?)
Bowl Me Over says
Hahaha Laura! Well, now you know how recipe testing works! Glad you enjoyed a great meal. I suspect you're a much better cook than you give yourself credit for! Thanks for your support of the blog!!
Penny Stilwell says
Made this and it was a hit! Not spicy but it had a warmth to it. I used pepper jack on top. After reading the comments. Will definitely add to my rotation.
Bowl Me Over says
Mmmm!!! I just love the Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Penny - glad your family also enjoyed it! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing!!
Kerri says
Can we do this as a crock pot meal?!?! Suggestions on the best way to get a similar outcome!
Bowl Me Over says
I have a crockpot chicken spaghetti recipe here- https://bowl-me-over.com/crock-pot-chicken-spaghetti/ I hope you give it a try Kerri!
Katosha says
This was so so so delicious! All my kids loved it, and a couple of them are super picky! Thank you! 😊
Bowl Me Over says
That's awesome Katosha! Glad the whole family enjoyed this easy recipe, we love the Rotel Chicken Spaghetti!!
Bonnie W Blinson says
My family loved this and so did I. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Suzy Turner says
My family Loves “MIssouri Down Home Cookin’ 😉 I’ve made chicken spaghetti often for them as a weeknight meal and we all love it. This is the first recipe however that called for cream cheese or the dry ranch seasoning in the recipe. I think I’m really loving these new ingredients! The real test will be tonight when my husband eats it for supper. I also switched the rotel out for some of my homemade salsa that somehow ended up a tad too spicy. I think it works in this recipe perfectly well. Thanks so much for sharing your very tasty version of chicken spaghetti!
Suzy Turner
Bowl Me Over says
Using your homemade salsa is a great swap Suzy! I think you'll love the recipe and have a new meal everyone will enjoy. I'd love to hear what your family thinks after you've given it a try!
Dee says
My comment is about the spaghetti. I love to use regular spaghetti. I even use gluten free spaghetti sometimes. It cooks a lot quicker and you must watch it more closely. Thank you for all your great tips with your recipes. I really enjoy this site!!!
Cajun Baby says
You forgot to mention cooking & shredding the chicken in the beginning of your recipe
Bowl Me Over says
No, because you're starting with cooked diced chicken. Enjoy the recipe!
Tami says
When and how does the chicken go from diced to shredded?
Bowl Me Over says
You can use either diced or shredded. Either works Tami.
Lois says
My husband said this was the best dinner I have fixed. He enjoyed all the dinners but this was the best!
keshakeke says
I love this recipe. I like to have an extra one on hand so will always prepare one to stick into the freezer. It is such an easy meal to take out and bake!
Alicia says
You gave me an idea! My hubby died Mar 4,2022 so there's just me to eat it! I could make it up, then pour into bake-able dishes to portion it out (I saw some for sale yesterday at TJMaxx!) and freeze all but the one to bake right now! YAY!
Carol says
We love this dish so much. With a crisp salad on the side. Took this dish to a church potluck and no less than 15 people asked for the recipe. Thank you so much for such great recipes
Carol K Meyer says
I've made this with cream of chicken, regular spaghetti and rotel. We absolutely love it and unless I make at least double the recipe, there isn't any left to freeze.
Linda N says
Just made this tonight & adding it to our favorites! We were in the mood for spaghetti but didn't have any ground turkey so made it with chicken breasts instead. So creamy & delicious!
Bowl Me Over says
Wonderful, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe Linda - it's so easy and good! There are so many yummy spaghetti recipes on the blog - I hope you give those a try as well!
Susan says
My husband loved this recipe! The whole time he was eating, he was going "Mmm-mm-mmm!" And when we were finished, he said, "Mom, that was good!". I didn't use a big enough pot to mix the spaghetti with the sauce, and so I layered it in the baking pan--
worked fine. Also, I've frozen half of the dish for another day. Thank you so much!
Bowl Me Over says
Hey that's awesome and a great tip to layer in the noodles and sauce. I'm glad you enjoyed the chicken spaghetti recipe! It's the best!!
Rene says
I would put some shredded jalapeno cheese in mine, cause at my house will like that kick. On the side definitely a cool spinach salad simmered just a tad in some bacon grease for that little extra flavor
Dystini says
How do I cook the chicken ?? Do I need to add any seasonings to the chicken ? Can I boil or grill it
Bowl Me Over says
That's a great question Dystini - Season the chicken like you normally would (grill seasoning, seasoning salt, even lemon pepper seasoning) - grilling it would be great. Poaching the chicken would be terrific as well. I often roast whole boneless chicken breasts in the oven. Temperature 400 degrees for 18-25 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken breast). It's done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken that would be a great use for it.
Barb Nutter says
do you put the 3 cups of cheese in with the soup, tomatoes and cream cheese
Bowl Me Over says
No Barb, top the casserole with the cheese (#4 instructions). It's cheesy and amazing - enjoy!! Thank you!
Nancy says
That confused me as well. Step 4 indicates until cheesES have melted. So it’s just the cream cheese in that step? Thanks
Bowl Me Over says
Yes, that's it! I corrected cheeses to cheese. I apologize for the confusion!
Mitzi Zornow says
Can I substitute the dairy products to non fat ones? They make fat free cream cheese , half and half , fat free evaporated milk, sour cream. Iam watching my cats because of high cholesterol.
Michelle says
I love the fact that you can freeze the leftovers!
Ross says
The recipe for CHICKEN SPAGHETTI WITH ROTEL calls for Two 14.5 Oz cans of soup. Campbell's Soup Company do not make 14.5 Oz cans of soup, they make 10.5 Oz cans. Does that mean that I should use Three cans of Campbell's Soup or did you make a mistake about the size of cans?
Bowl Me Over says
I did make a mistake I had them at 10. The cans are 10.5 - correct now, thank you!
Ross says
The recipe still reads: 29 ounces cream of chicken soup that's two 14.5 ounce cans
Lisa says
My daughter is allergic to anything ranch. Is there a substitution for the ranch seasoning?
This looks delicious & I would love to make it for my family.
Thank you!
Bowl Me Over says
Yes Lisa - if you omit the ranch mix substitute with a teaspoon of onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and salt. That should season it up well. Enjoy - this is so yummy!
Shay says
So freaking good
Bowl Me Over says
Isn't this ridiculous? Glad you enjoyed it Shay!! Happy Holidays!
Alicia says
Has anyone ever tried this in a crockpot, adding the noodles at the end of course?
Bowl Me Over says
I have not, but I do have a crockpot chicken spaghetti in the works!
Christine says
I made this for dinner tonight, for my husband and I. Very tasty! I look forward to eating the left overs over the next couple of days.
Bowl Me Over says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the chicken spaghetti recipe, it's one of our favorites!