Savor the rich and comforting flavors of the South with this chicken Spaghetti casserole.
This dish combines chicken and rich creamy spaghetti with a cheesy panko bread crumb topping. The casserole is then baked until the cheese is melty and the crust is golden brown. Make it for a delicious meal your whole family will love.
"This casserole is now my family's fave. It's so easy to make, delicious, and comforting. Best of all...everyone loves it, so I don't need to worry about making a separate meal for everyone! "
★★★★★ -Linda
In the South, we love our Chicken Casseroles. My Mother-in-law makes a delicious Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole. It is absolutely delicious and one of her recipe staples that our whole family loves.
This vintage chicken casserole recipe is a little different. It is baked like a spaghetti casserole with loads of chicken, a white creamy cheese sauce, and topped with a crunchy cheesy panko bread crumb crust.
Each bite is loaded with comfort. It is a "Feed Your Soul" kind of meal. My family absolutely loves it. I hope you enjoy! Xoxo ~Katie.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
You will need the following ingredients to make this cheesy chicken spaghetti casserole recipe.
- shredded cooked chicken- If you use rotisserie chicken, do not add seasoned salt because the chicken will be seasoned and it will become too salty. I don't recommend canned chicken, but you can use it if you want.
- spaghetti- You can substitute with egg noodles or a thin spaghetti such as angel hair pasta.
- cream of chicken soup- You can substitute with cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup.
- sour cream
- chicken broth-You can use water and add a chicken bouillon.
- seasoned salt- You cans substitute with salt or Cajun seasoning salt.
- butter-Use unsalted if watching your salt intake.
- cayenne pepper-Adds a tiny bit of heat, you can substitute with red pepper flakes, or feel free to omit.
- garlic- You can substitute with garlic powder.
- cheddar cheese-For this recipe, I use shredded sharp cheddar, however monterey jack, velveeta cheese, or cream cheese are a delicious flavor substitute.
- panko bread crumbs
- parmesan cheese-Grated or shredded.
- Italian Parsley- Fresh parsley adds a nice garnish. This is optional.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.
*The full recipe with exact measurements is located at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Optional Add-Ins
For an added spicy kick of zesty flavor, feel free to add in: green chiles, red peppers, pimentos, RoTel tomatoes, or green pepper!
Watch how to make
Steps
Follow these simple steps to make homemade chicken spaghetti casserole.
- Break spaghetti pasta in half. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix sour cream, butter, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, garlic, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Mix in shredded chicken and cooked spaghetti noodles.
- Pour mixture into a prepared baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- In a mixing bowl, mix panko bread crumbs with melted butter. Mix in grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 45 minutes. Rest 5 minutes then garnish with chopped Italian parsley.
Shredding Chicken Hack
Watch this video for an easy chicken shredding hack.
Can you freeze chicken spaghetti casserole?
Chicken spaghetti casserole makes a great freezer meal.To freeze, wrap tightly with several layers of plastic wrap, or store in an airtight container. To reheat, completely thaw. Then bake 45 minutes at 350°.
How do you store leftovers?
Seal leftovers with plastic wrap or store in an air tight container. Refrigerate up to 3 days. For best results, bake leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees until completely reheated. You can microwave leftovers, but the topping will not be crunchy.
Baked chicken spaghetti is very filling. Serve simply with garlic bread and broccoli, green beans, cucumber salad, or a side salad for a family favorite meal!
For more chicken recipes, try: French Onion Chicken Noodle Casserole, Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, King Ranch Chicken Casserole, and Crockpot Chicken and Gravy.
If you make this chicken spaghetti casserole, please tell me what you think in the comment section! It would mean the world to me to hear back. My readers will appreciate the information also.
Also post your picture of your chicken casserole on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Easy Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 16 ounces sour cream
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (10.75oz cans)
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Break spaghetti pasta in half and cook according to directions.12 ounces spaghetti
- In a mixing bowl, mix sour cream, ½ cup butter, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, garlic, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper.¾ cup chicken broth, 16 ounces sour cream, ½ cup butter, melted, 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (10.75oz cans), 2 garlic cloves
- Add in chicken and spaghetti, mixing well to be evenly distributed.4 cups cooked chicken
- Pour mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.2 cups cheddar cheese
- In a mixing bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of melted butter with panko bread crumbs. Mix in grated parmesan cheese.¾ cup Parmesan Cheese, 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs , 1 tablespoon melted butter
- Bake uncovered 45 minutes or until topping is crispy and inside is bubbly. Rest for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. (Optional.)1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Choclette says
You had me at easy and cheesy. I adore pasta and cheese and your recipe with a ceamy sauce and crunchy topping sounds super delicious.
Ana says
Wow! I can't wait to try this!
Shauna L says
I made this last night. Delicious! I appreciate the way you put the amount of ingredients in each step again. No scrolling back up to see how much. I will definitely be making this again, and again. Thank you!!
Linda says
This casserole is now my family's fave. It's so easy to make, delicious, and comforting. Best of all...everyone loves it, so I don't need to worry about making a separate meal for everyone
Carrie Robinson says
This looks like the perfect comfort food dish to me! My family would go crazy for this. Definitely making it soon! 🙂
Cathleen says
One of my favourite things to make is a chicken casserole, so I know that I am going to be all over this recipe this week. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I am so excited to make it!
Jamie says
Wow! This casserole dish variant looks so delicious and very yummy! A great pasta dish to add to our favorites! Plus we can never go wrong with pasta! Loved it!
Colleen says
A great way to change up the same old spaghetti dinner. We used rotisserie chicken so it was easy as well as delicious.
Jenny Graves says
Did you say sour cream? I’m in! We loved this cheesy chicken spaghetti casserole dish. It was seriously satisfying. Thank you!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Love meals like this! So comforting and high five for being freezer friendly 🙂 Though, I'm sure it wouldn't last long enough to make it to the freezer 😉
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Noodle casserole are the best!! Love comforting meals like this and so easy to put together for a weeknight dinner. And plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day too! 🙂