Southern Chicken Spaghetti

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5 from 23 votes

Cheesy chicken spaghetti with red and green bell peppers, shredded chicken in a creamy cheese sauce!

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 821kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (spaghetti)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
2 tablespoons oil , canola, vegetable or olive oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of celery
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chicken broth , unsalted
12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese shredded; divided (8 ounces for casserole; 4 ounces for topping)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Cook the Chicken

Preheat oven to 350ºF
Place chicken on lightly greased baking dish, season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake about 40-45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF - OR - Place chicken thighs (or breasts) in a large pot and cover with water; bring to boil; allow chicken to come to 165ºF; remove chicken and set aside
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
While chicken is cooking, chop onions, celery and bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper
Once chicken has cooled, use two forks to shred the meat; set aside

Prepare the Vegetables and Sauce

Before you start, make sure you use a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven to saute the vegetables. WHY? The mixture grows as you add the soups, chicken and cheese and may overflow.

Add oil to skillet, place chopped onions, celery and bell peppers in oil; cook about 15 minutes on medium - medium/high heat
2 tablespoons oil, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper
Once vegetable mixture is done, add chicken broth, condensed soups, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sour cream; Mix together well and allow to cook for about 5 minutes uncovered
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 can condensed cream of celery, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup chicken broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Add shredded chicken to vegetable mixture; combine well
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Add one cup of shredded cheese to mixture; combine well; turn heat to low and prepare pasta
12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese

Final Steps

In a different large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil; cook pasta as indicated on packaging (usually about 9 minutes) Drain pasta; set aside
1 pound pasta (spaghetti)
Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish; add cooked pasta and vegetable mixture to baking dish; combine well (this is easiest to do with tongs)
Add remaining half of of the cheese to the pasta and vegetable mixture; mix well
12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
Top with remaining cheese; bake covered for about 15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and casserole is bubbly.

Notes

Use a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven to cook the sauce, vegetables and chicken; once you add the soups and cheese, it will overflow if your skillet is not deep eough.
Note: you can reduce the cooking time by about 45 minutes if you use rotisserie chicken
I make this dish with dark meat because I think it's more flavorful, however, if you prefer white meat, then use chicken breast. Cook them as indicated in the recipe
If you buy skin-on chicken, I've found it's easier to remove the skin prior to cooking the chicken.
If you want a crispy topping, cook the casserole uncovered

Nutrition