Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti

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If you’re in search of a creamy, luscious twist on spaghetti pasta, Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is an easy and delicious slow cooker meal that you’ll be making again and again.

Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel Recipe

I love a hearty slow cooker pasta recipe that delivers with flavor, creaminess, and ease. Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti does not disappoint!

This spaghetti is made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts slow-cooked in a creamed soup, cream cheese mixture, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti has quickly become our family’s favorite.

Everybody loves this easy slow cooker pasta dish and you can make it any day of the week.

It’s also a great meal to take to someone when they’ve got a brand new baby or even as funeral food for friends who have hurting hearts.

Ingredients for cheesy chicken spaghetti

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: You can also make chicken spaghetti using boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
  
• Onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic: These vegetables are the aromatics that supply the flavor foundation of the chicken spaghetti.
  
• Italian seasoning: If you don’t have this seasoning blend on hand, you can use equal parts of basil, oregano, and thyme.
  
• Diced tomatoes with green chilies: Add the juices along with the tomatoes to the chicken spaghetti. If you find green chilies to be too spicy for your liking, you can substitute petite diced tomatoes instead.
  
• Cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese: All these ingredients supply the “creamy” part of chicken spaghetti.
  
• Spaghetti noodles: You could also use angel hair pasta in chicken spaghetti if you prefer pasta that has a more delicate mouthfeel. Angel hair pasta will also cook a tiny bit more quickly than spaghetti.

Note: I’ve made chicken spaghetti and used the low-fat versions of the cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup.

It works okay, but my family does not prefer that version. Same for low-fat shredded cheese.

Recipe tips

• If you like your chicken spaghetti extra “saucy”, add a second undrained can of diced tomatoes and green chilies to the mix. This is what I prefer, but my family does not. 🙁

• If you don’t have time to sauté the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic before adding it to the chicken spaghetti, you can substitute dehydrated onions, celery, and bell pepper instead. Add any or all of these ingredients as you add the diced tomatoes and green chilies.

• If you happen to forget to save some of the pasta water for making the sauce, just substitute some chicken broth.
  
• You can cook the spaghetti ahead of time to speed up cooking day.

How to make crockpot chicken spaghetti

Place the chicken breasts side-by-side across the bottom of a greased slow cooker.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add a swish of olive oil.

When the oil is nicely hot, add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning.

Sauté the vegetables until softened, 6-8 minutes. Spread over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.

Top the vegetables and chicken breasts with the diced tomatoes and both cans of soup.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

We find that this chicken spaghetti is best when cooked on low for a longer cooking time than on high for a shorter cooking time.

Cooking it on high will work in a pinch, but the overall eating experience is better when cooked low and slow.

Remove the chicken breasts from the slower cooker and place onto a cutting board.

Use two forks to shred the chicken apart, then return it to the ingredients in the crock pot.

Stir in the cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 20-30 minutes until the cream cheese and cheddar cheese have melted.

Stir to combine until a smooth consistency.

Meanwhile, cook the broken spaghetti noodles according to package directions.

Cook to al dente in doneness; reserve and keep warm—reserve 2 cups of the hot pasta water.

Breaking the spaghetti noodles before cooking them makes them much easier to serve and eat!

Fold the cooked spaghetti noodles into the crock pot mixture.

Adjust as needed by adding some of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Serve and enjoy!

What is crockpot chicken spaghetti?

This version of chicken spaghetti is made in the slow cooker, but chicken spaghetti can also be made as a casserole and baked in the oven.

All versions include cooked spaghetti pasta, shredded chicken, and a seasoned cheesy sauce made from cream soups, shredded cheese, and diced tomatoes.

Cooking pasta in the slow cooker

You absolutely can cook pasta in the crockpot.

In this recipe, the pasta is actually cooked separately until al dente in texture, then drained and stirred in right at the end. This helps the chicken spaghetti to be extra creamy.

How to make baked cheesy chicken spaghetti casserole using a rotisserie chicken

In a large, deep skillet, saute the celery, onion, and bell pepper with the garlic and Italian seasonings, just as directed in the recipe.

Meanwhile, shred the rotisserie chicken meat and cook the spaghetti pasta; drain well, reserving 1-2 cups of the hot pasta water.

When the veggies are ready, add the soups, diced tomatoes, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese to the skillet, stirring gently until well combined.

Now toss in the shredded chicken and the cooked spaghetti.

Add some of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Spread the mixture into a greased 9×13 pan.

Bake, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly throughout (165 degrees F. at the center for a safe and hot casserole).

How to reheat cheesy chicken spaghetti

After you serve the chicken spaghetti from the crockpot, you’ll want to place the leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

If the chicken spaghetti seems to dry when you reheat the leftovers, add some chicken broth, milk, or half and half as you reheat it in the microwave.

The best way to reheat chicken spaghetti is in the microwave, adding a bit of broth or even milk to reconstitute the mixture a bit to make it creamy once more.

Cheesy chicken spaghetti variations:

• When you sauté the onion, bell pepper, and celery, add other veggies to the mix, if preferred. I like to add mushrooms, and sometimes I swap out the green bell pepper for red bell pepper, too.

• If preferred, you could also switch out the spaghetti pasta for cooked white rice or even cauliflower rice.

• You can use different types of cheeses when making cheesy chicken spaghetti, such as Velveeta cheese, Colby jack cheese, or even pepper jack cheese if you prefer a more spicy version of this pasta.
  
• My family prefers spaghetti pasta for chicken spaghetti, but you could also vary which types of pasta you use to change it up a bit. Linguine, penne, shell, or elbow pasta would all work great.
  

What to serve with crockpot chicken spaghetti

I like to serve chicken spaghetti with salad on the side, along with a loaf of warm garlic bread. If I have time I love to make easy peasant bread to serve with chicken spaghetti.

Roasted vegetables would be good served as a side dish with chicken spaghetti, too.

More favorite chicken and pasta recipes

Mississippi Crockpot Chicken can be slow-cooked in the crock pot or made in the Instant Pot. It has just five simple ingredients and makes flavorful, tender chicken.

Have you tried the viral air fryer pasta chips yet? We are shocked at how much we enjoy them! They are the perfect mix of flavor and crunch.

If you’re looking for a rich and decadent pasta side dish, check out creamy orzo pasta with rosemary browned butter. Talk about fast and easy!

We love tortellini whether it’s hot or cold! One of our favorite pasta salads is tortellini pasta salad with tomatoes, basil and corn – it SCREAMS summer.