Are you as much about ooey gooey cheesy chicken spaghetti as I am? Well, then stick around! We have the best cheesy chicken spaghetti with Rotel around! From an old cookbook I used back in college, this spaghetti with chicken recipe brings all the right elements together – Rotel tomatoes, Velveeta cheese, and black olives! Of course, you can customize as you wish!
Cheesy Goodbyes
This cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe post is written with bittersweet sentiments. I know you readers don’t care for long food blog stories and so on. But humor me this time…
One of the first friends I made when I moved to Little Rock was my friend B. I have some fine memories of our times together – like the time he poured a shot or two of Jagermeister into my chocolate chip cookie batter. The cookies turned out fine…maybe a little too chewy. I opted not to take them to the school potluck.
But all good things must come to an end. B’s family relocated to another state after a great job opportunity came to fruition for B. I’ve known for a long time this day would probably come because he has shown interest in job prospects around the country for years. Why do all of my friends move out of state?!
Anyway, what brings all this back to mind is that we planned one last dinner together before they left. It came as no surprise to me when B said, “I request your chicken spaghetti.”
Back in my single days, I had friends over for dinner much more often than I manage to lately. My easy chicken spaghetti recipe was one of my most requested dishes among family and friends. And it was also my secret weapon in snagging boyfriends.
Husband-Catching Chicken Spaghetti
Just ask The Hubs. I pulled the ole’ chicken spaghetti-roo on him on our third date. He used to be a very picky eater. He told me he wasn’t sure he would like chicken spaghetti because he had never tried it. (Of course, he was polite enough to not mention this to me until long after-the-fact.) Needless to say, he fell in love – with both of us! Kitchen seduction at its finest. Nowadays, he is quick to remind me when he hasn’t been fed a batch of cheesy chicken spaghetti in a while. And whenever I tell him we are having spaghetti for dinner, he always, with a glimmer of hopefulness, says, “Chicken spaghetti or regular?”
I found the original recipe for this cheesy chicken spaghetti recipe in a south Arkansas fundraising cookbook I bought while in college. I have made some changes to it over the years, but I’m sure any of the veggies could easily be adjusted or left out to suit tastes. You also could leave out the chicken and have a delicious veggie spaghetti.
Ingredients
- Knorr Caldo de Tomate – This is a tomato bouillon powder often found in the Latin American section at the grocery store. I cook with it in so many of my dishes – many that are featured here on the website. This is GOOD stuff. It adds a spicy kick. But you can use chicken broth instead.
- Green peppers
- Onions
- Cream of mushroom – You will need two cans.
- Velveeta cheese – I like to buy the shredded Velveeta.
- Black olives
- Rotel – You only need one can.
- Precooked and chopped/shredded chicken breast – boiled, grilled, sautéd, slow-roasted – whatever chicken you have on hand that suits your taste for casseroles
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Black pepper
How to Make Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
First, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large stock pot, I boil water for the spaghetti noodles. Once the water is boiling, I add six teaspoons of Knorr Caldo de Tomate to the water and dissolve the powder. This makes more of a spicy tomato broth, but you can also use chicken broth or water. Once the water boils, I add the spaghetti noodles and cook according to package instructions.
Next, I toss the onions and peppers in a small skillet with a bit of oil and cook them just until translucent. (If my shredded chicken is cold, I also toss the chicken into the skillet with the onions and peppers – just to heat the chicken a little.
Once the spaghetti has been cooked al dente, I drain the noodles.
Next, it’s time to start slicing the Velveeta into thin pieces or small chunks. Recently, I have fallen in love with the shredded Velveeta. This really speeds up prep time!
Next, I pour the drained spaghetti into a large mixing bowl. Afterward, I add everything else – the sautéd onions and peppers, the chopped or shredded chicken, 1/2 of the Velveeta, the drained diced tomatoes, the olives, and the cream of mushroom.
I sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper and just a little bit of Italian seasoning, mixing well until the concoction has a consistent creamy texture.
I spread the noodle mixture into a lightly greased baking pan and layer the rest of the Velveeta on top.
How Long to Bake Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
Next, I put the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until the cheese is mostly melted. You might see a few darker, overdone noodles near the top. This is okay. Trust me. The inside will be creamy perfection.
As for B, I’ll miss him and his sweet family. And I think he’ll miss us – but I know he will miss this cheesy chicken spaghetti with Rotel recipe!
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel and Velveeta
Ingredients
- 6 tsp Knorr Caldo de Tomate or chicken bouillon or plain water
- 16 oz Spaghetti
- 1 cup Green peppers chopped
- 1 cup Onions chopped
- 21 oz Cream of mushroom soup 2 cans
- 8 oz Velveeta Cheese shredded or chopped
- 14 oz Black olives sliced
- 10 oz Rotel with green chilies one can – drained
- 6 Chicken breasts pre-cooked – boiled, roasted, grilled, smoked chicken breasts; shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning like herb and garlic
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Heat a large pot of boiling water over medium-high heat.
- Add 6 teaspoons Knorr Caldo de Tomate bouillon powder or chicken broth bouillon powder to water.
- When water comes to a boil, add 16 oz spaghetti, broken in half
- In a separate small skillet, add chopped green peppers and chopped onions and cook until translucent. (If shredded cooked chicken is cold, you might add the chicken to the skillet of veggies for a couple minutes just to heat through.)
- Drain spaghetti in colander.
- Transfer drained spaghetti to large mixing bowl.
- Add peppers and onions, cream of mushroom soup, 3/4 of the shredded Velveeta cheese, olives, drained Rotel, shredded or chopped cooked chicken, and seasonings to bowl.
- Stir well.
- Pour into greased 9×11 baking pan. Top with the remaining 1/4 shredded Velveeta cheese.
- Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.
Nutrition
More Pasta Recipes from Planted in Arkansas
Do any of you have a “boyfriend-snagging” recipe? Here are some of our other favorites pastas!
Southwest Pasta with Black Beans and Ground Beef
Chicken Soup with Amish Noodles
Black Eye Pea Soup with Tortellini and Sausage
Sausage and Squash Skillet with Orzo
Tallerine (Beef Noodle Casserole)
Sausage Tortellini Soup with Spinach
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