Chicken Spaghetti
This creamy Chicken Spaghetti recipe is made with a cheesy, luscious, cream sauce and baked to perfection. A pasta lover’s dream!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lb total) $6.25
- 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.12
- 1/2 Tbsp salt (for the pasta water) $0.04
- 8 oz spaghetti $0.62
- 1/4 cup salted butter $0.52
- 1 onion, diced $0.32
- 2 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour $0.06
- 2 cups chicken broth $0.34
- 1/2 tsp salt $0.02
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning $0.05
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided $1.24
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided $1.24
- 1 cup heavy cream $1.36
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained (Rotel) $1.00
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Using a sharp knife, carefully fillet each chicken breast into two thinner cutlets. Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the four chicken cutlets to the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes total). Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board, and allow it to rest.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp of salt to the water then add the spaghetti pasta and boil until the pasta is tender (or al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, start making the sauce. In the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and stir with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flour starts to turn golden brown.
- Slowly pour the chicken broth into the skillet and stir to fully dissolve the flour from the bottom of the skillet. The flour will start to thicken the sauce when it returns to a simmer. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and the heavy cream to the skillet. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- After the chicken breasts have rested, chop them into smaller ½ inch pieces.
- Turn the heat off the skillet and add the drained diced tomatoes with green chiles, the chopped chicken, and the cooked spaghetti to the pan. Mix until combined.
- Add the chicken spaghetti mixture to a 9x13” casserole dish. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and cheese is melted.
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Notes
I opted for two boneless skinless chicken breasts. But if your budget is tight, you can certainly use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
Butter is used to sauté the onion and garlic. All-purpose flour then mixes with the butter to create a simple roux, which thickens the creamy sauce.
Chicken broth combines with the roux to create a rich and thick sauce. And we always recommend using a good quality chicken broth because it adds a lot of flavor to your dish. We use Better than Bouillon to make our broth.
A combination of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese adds depth of flavor to the casserole and makes it extra rich and cheesy! And yes I do recommend using both types of cheeses. We first tested this recipe using just cheddar cheese, but adding some mozzarella cheese with it really boosted the level of flavor!
A can of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles adds a LOT of flavor to the cream sauce and makes this chicken casserole absolutely delish! So don’t skip it!
Heavy cream adds even more richness to the dish and gives the sauce a wonderful creamy texture.
A simple mix of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper is all you’ll need in addition to sautéed onion and garlic for flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 37g | Sodium: 843mg | Fiber: 2g