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4.67 from 9 votes

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel

This delicious cheesy chicken spaghetti casserole is made with Rotel and Velveeta cheese, with a homemade sauce you'll want to lick from the plate! I've also included instructions for freezing and reheating later.
Course Chicken
Cuisine Tex Mex
Keyword Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 582kcal
Author Sarah Penrod

Ingredients

  • 3 T butter
  • 8 oz. package mushrooms. I prefer shitake and button mushrooms.
  • 1 yellow bell pepper small dice
  • 1 poblano small dice, seeded
  • 1 jalapeno seeded fully, small dice
  • 1/2 onion small dice
  • 1 t. salt
  • 3/4 of a lb. of spaghetti pasta That's 3/4 of a box
  • 2 T. flour
  • 2 c. Chicken Stock
  • 1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles (or 1 can petite diced tomatoes)
  • 8 oz. Velveeta cheese cut into cubes
  • 1/2 c. cream
  • 1 rotisserie chicken with the juices reserved from the bottom of the container
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese for sprinkling on top
  •   Optional Garnish- Cilantro if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and set aside a glass casserole dish to bake in. 
  • Remove the chicken from the bone and shred into bite-sized pieces. Reserve the juices (or jelly if it's still cold) from the bottom of the chicken container. We will add it to the sauce later for extra flavor.
  • Boil a large pot of water for cooking the spaghetti in. Salt the water well and cover the pot so it boils faster!
  • Cook spaghetti to al dente, or just a little firmer than usual. Drain and reserve.
  • Meanwhile, in a skillet or cast iron pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. I like to cut up the rest of the vegetables while the mushrooms brown and caramelize so they have plenty of time to develop a deep, rich flavor. Please be advised that if you use shitakes as I do, that the hard stems must be removed. They are woody and won't cook down. I use a combination of shitakes and button mushrooms!
  • Add in the small diced yellow bell pepper, poblano, jalapeno, and onion. Stir to incorporate and add 1 t. salt. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften and wilt at a medium heat, about 4-6 minutes. 
  • Sprinkle in 2 T flour, and stir into the mixture. Cook 1 minute.
  • Add in 2 c. chicken stock, and 1 can of Rotel. Stir or whisk well and increase the heat, stirring well, until the mixture begins to thicken. It will thicken as it approaches a simmer. After it has thickened add in the cream.
  • Add the juice from the rotisserie chicken and 8 oz. of Velveeta. (Cut where the lines are on the package for easy measuring). Turn the heat down to low-medium and allow the Velveeta to melt. This takes 6-8 minutes. Simmer a couple more minutes and taste for seasoning. 
  • It should taste like heaven at this point and you should have to restrain yourself from pouring it into a bread bowl and calling it soup night. 
  • In the glass casserole dish, place the drained, spaghetti pasta and the shredded chicken, and give it a toss around. Pour the sauce over the top. Give it another toss and sprinkle it with cheddar cheese.
  • Cook at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, just to get it nice and bubbly and allow the cheese topping to melt. Garnish with cilantro if desired. 

Notes

The jalapeno can be left out for a milder chicken spaghetti.
To reheat if frozen, cook at 375 for 30-40 minutes. It can also be thawed in the refrigerator and baked as stated in the original recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 1713mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g