Whether or not you already know it as Hen Spaghetti or chickenetti, this consolation meals casserole is a creamy, tacky crowd-pleaser! Good for potlucks and household dinner (it serves 10!), my model skips the canned soup and layers in some Tex-Mex flavors to make it further delicious.

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A basic Midwestern casserole with some Effectively Plated twists.

Hen spaghetti is an Amish casserole made to feed a crowd on a finances.
And, because it goes with most Midwestern casserole recipes, the unique model is made with a number of canned soup and cheese.
I’m not going to skip the cheese (concern not!), however I’m going to show you to swap in a do-it-yourself cream sauce that’s nonetheless simple, however not as excessive in sodium.
After which we get just a little bit sassy and switch it right into a real-deal meal…
- We are including veggies with onion and purple bell pepper, together with a hefty 3 garlic cloves to infuse the rooster spaghetti casserole with extra taste (and a pop of colour too).
- Diced tomatoes with inexperienced chiles, pimentos, cumin, and paprika add unbelievable taste to the sauce and provides this old school casserole just a little Tex-Mex spin.
- Entire wheat spaghetti provides the casserole some further heartiness and a refined taste increase.

Key Components
This isn’t the complete listing of substances! You’ll discover that within the printable recipe card on the backside of the web page. However right here you’ll discover a fast abstract of the important thing gamers and a few notes to remember.
- Spaghetti. As talked about above, I like to make use of entire wheat spaghetti, however common spaghetti is simply advantageous too.
- Greens. I take advantage of yellow onion and purple bell pepper, together with garlic. You should utilize a yellow or orange bell pepper as a substitute of purple for the same candy taste, or strive inexperienced bell pepper for just a little extra chew.
- Low-Sodium Hen Broth. The bottom of our cream sauce. I like to make use of low-sodium as a result of it provides me extra management over the salt stage.
- Entire Milk. I like to recommend sticking with entire milk and never swapping in a decrease fats selection. This helps make the sauce wealthy and creamy.
- Cream Cheese. You should utilize full-fat or reduced-fat. Let it come to room temperature so it melts extra shortly into the sauce.
- Diced Tomatoes With Inexperienced Chiles. HELLO FLAVOR! This straightforward addition provides so many layers of taste, beginning with the brilliant acidity of the tomatoes, which may be very welcome in such a wealthy casserole.
- Pimentos. Tender, tangy, and candy. Not a fan? Chopped roasted purple peppers would work too.
- Cheese. I take advantage of a mixture of cheddar (for taste) and mozzarella (for a superior soften).
- Spices. Floor paprika and cumin; I take advantage of common (candy) paprika, however you should utilize smoked paprika for just a little smoky oomph.
- Hen. Preserve it simple and decide up a rotisserie rooster for this recipe, or use cooked rooster. It may be cooked and cubed (strive my Baked Hen Breast or Air Fryer Hen Breast), or use Crockpot Shredded Hen.
My Ideas for the Greatest Hen Spaghetti
- Cook dinner the Pasta to Al Dente. That is necessary! Should you don’t need your pasta bloated and ugh, you could undercook it barely. It can end cooking within the oven.
- Shred Your Personal Cheese for the Greatest Soften. The basic model of rooster spaghetti makes use of Velveeta and regardless of your ideas on this controversial topic, Velveeta melts BEAUTIFULLY. Retailer-bought shreds? Not a lot—it’s coated with an anti-caking agent that impacts its capability to soften easily. So in order for you that ultra-smooth, velvety soften, shred the cheese from a block.
- Work It Into Your Meal Plan. Once I’m making a rooster casserole like rooster spaghetti, I wish to make rooster for dinner the night time earlier than and plan for leftovers. I put aside what I want for the casserole the subsequent day and we eat the remainder for dinner.


Recipe Variations
There are MANY methods to make rooster spaghetti. Right here’s some inspo.
- Make It Italian Fashion. Use diced tomatoes with Italian herbs and swap the pimento with sun-dried tomatoes. Use 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. As a substitute of paprika and cumin, use Italian seasoning.
- Add Mushrooms. Swap out the purple bell pepper for Sautéed Mushrooms.
- Wilt in Some Spinach. Stir a package deal of child spinach into the sauce for some further veggie goodness.
- Add Some Crispy-Crunch. Mix panko breadcrumbs with melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle this combination over the rooster spaghetti earlier than baking.
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- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided, plus extra for cooking the pasta
- 12 ounces entire wheat spaghetti or common spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for the pasta
- 1 small yellow onion diced into ¼-inch items (about 1 cup)
- 1 purple bell pepper diced into ¼-inch items (about 1 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves minced, about 1 tablespoon
- 1 ¼ cups low-sodium rooster broth
- 1 cup entire milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature (alright to swap lowered fats; don’t use fats free)
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with inexperienced chiles of their juices
- 1 4-ounce jar chopped pimentos drained
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup shredded entire milk mozzarella cheese
- ½ teaspoon floor paprika
- ½ teaspoon floor cumin
- 4 cups chopped rotisserie or cooked rooster or use cooked, shredded rooster
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Place a rack within the middle of your oven and warmth to 375°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
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Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil. Cook dinner the pasta to al dente in response to the package deal directions. Drain and return to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to forestall sticking.
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In the meantime, in a big skillet, warmth 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium warmth. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook dinner, stirring, till starting to melt, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook dinner for 1 minute. Switch the vegetable combination to the ready baking dish.
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Return the skillet to medium-low warmth and add the broth, milk, and cream cheese. Whisk till the sauce is scorching and the cream cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Add the undrained can of tomatoes, pimentos, ½ cup cheddar, mozzarella, paprika, cumin, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Deliver to a low simmer and cook dinner, stirring often, till the sauce has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Add the cooked spaghetti, rooster, and cheese sauce to the baking dish with the greens. Stir to mix. High with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar.
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Bake uncovered till effervescent and golden on prime, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for five minutes earlier than serving.
- TO STORE: Switch leftovers to an hermetic container or wrap them within the authentic casserole dish. Refrigerate for as much as 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Heat particular person parts of the rooster spaghetti within the microwave, or reheat it in a baking dish coated with foil in a 350ºF oven.
- TO FREEZE: Switch leftovers to an hermetic container and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.
- FREEZER MEAL PREP: Freeze unbaked with out cheese topping for as much as 6 months. High and bake for a further 10 minutes; cowl for all however the final 10 minutes.
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