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In Texas and Oklahoma there is a casserole that does not exist anywhere else, and it is chicken spaghetti. Not the Italian kind. This one has cream of mushroom soup, a can of tomatoes with green chiles, a jar of pimentos, chopped green pepper and onion, and a lid of melted cheddar over spaghetti and pulled chicken. It went to every church supper and every family that had bad news, in a dish with the cook’s name written on masking tape on the bottom so it would find its way home.
The detail that makes this version taste like the real thing is the broth. The chicken is poached with an onion, and then the spaghetti is cooked in that same broth instead of plain water. The pasta soaks up chicken flavor before it ever meets the sauce. Everything else is a matter of stirring it together and baking until the edges bubble. It also freezes perfectly before baking, which is why so many church freezers had one waiting.
Why this chicken spaghetti casserole works
- Spaghetti cooked in the broth. Pasta boiled in the poaching liquid tastes of chicken all the way through. Water gives you a blander casserole.
- A whole chicken, poached. Dark and white meat together stay moist in the oven, and you get the broth for free.
- Tomatoes with green chiles. The can of diced tomatoes and green chiles is what gives the dish its faint heat and color. It is not optional.
- Cheese inside and on top. Two cups folded through keep it creamy; the last cup on top makes the lid.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x13 pan, 8 to 10 servings. US cups with grams in brackets.
For the chicken and broth
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds, 1.8kg)
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Water to cover
For the casserole
- 12 ounces spaghetti (340g), broken in half
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 1 small jar (4 ounces) diced pimentos, drained
- 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken broth (120ml), plus more if needed
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar (340g), divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
A rotisserie chicken and 6 cups of good store-bought broth work when time is short: pull the meat, cook the spaghetti in the broth, and carry on from step 4.
How to make chicken spaghetti casserole
- Put the chicken in a large pot with the halved onion, salt and pepper and enough water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, partly cover and cook for 1 hour, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
- Lift the chicken out and let it cool enough to handle. Strain the broth and keep it. Pull the meat off the bones in bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bones. You should have about 4 cups.
- Bring 8 cups of the broth back to a boil in the same pot and cook the spaghetti until just tender, about 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the broth.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9x13 baking dish. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chopped onion and green pepper until soft, about 6 minutes.
- Stir the cream of mushroom soup, the tomatoes with green chiles, the pimentos, the garlic powder and 1/2 cup of broth into the skillet. Heat until bubbling, then take it off the heat.
- In a very large bowl, combine the spaghetti, the chicken, the sauce and 2 cups of the cheddar. Fold gently until everything is coated. If it looks dry, add more broth a few tablespoons at a time; it should be creamy and loose, because it tightens in the oven. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish and scatter the remaining 1 cup of cheddar over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges bubble. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving.
Tips that make the difference
- Break the spaghetti in half before cooking. Long strands make the casserole hard to serve with a spoon.
- Keep the casserole a little wetter than seems right at step 6. The pasta keeps drinking sauce in the oven.
- Grate the cheddar yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating and does not melt into the sauce.
- For a browned top, run the dish under the broiler for 2 minutes at the end.
Variations
- With mushrooms. Cook 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onion and pepper.
- Spicier. Use the hot version of the tomatoes with green chiles and add a chopped jalapeño.
- Creamier. Stir 4 ounces of cubed cream cheese into the hot sauce at step 5 until melted.
- Half pans. Divide between two 8x8 dishes: bake one tonight and freeze the other unbaked.
Storage and make-ahead
Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave with a spoonful of broth or milk, or the whole dish covered with foil at 325°F for 25 minutes.
To freeze before baking, assemble in a foil pan, cool completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as written, adding 10 to 15 minutes.
It also freezes after baking, in portions, for 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Use the meat from one large rotisserie chicken (about 4 cups) and cook the spaghetti in 8 cups of store-bought chicken broth. It will not be quite as flavorful as the poached version but it is close and it saves an hour.
What are tomatoes with green chiles?
A can of diced tomatoes mixed with chopped green chiles, sold in the tomato aisle in the US (the best-known brand starts with an R). Outside the US, use a can of diced tomatoes plus a small can of chopped green chiles.
Can I make chicken spaghetti ahead?
It is one of the best make-ahead casseroles there is. Assemble up to 2 days ahead, cover and refrigerate, then bake straight from the refrigerator, adding about 10 minutes.
Why is my chicken spaghetti dry?
The pasta absorbs sauce as it sits and bakes. Keep the mixture looser than you think at the mixing stage, and cover the dish with foil for the first 15 minutes if you are baking it from cold.
Write your name on a strip of tape and stick it to the bottom of the dish before it leaves the house. That is the tradition, and it is how the dish comes home.
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole (The Texas Church Supper Recipe)
The classic Texas and Oklahoma chicken spaghetti casserole: chicken poached with an onion, spaghetti cooked in the broth, cream of mushroom, tomatoes with green chiles, pimentos, green pepper and a lid of melted cheddar. Feeds a crowd and freezes before baking.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Water to cover
- 12 ounces spaghetti (340g), broken in half
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 1 small jar (4 ounces) diced pimentos, drained
- 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken broth (120ml), plus more if needed
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar (340g), divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a large pot with the halved onion, salt and pepper and enough water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, partly cover and cook for 1 hour, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
- Lift the chicken out and let it cool enough to handle. Strain the broth and keep it. Pull the meat off the bones in bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bones. You should have about 4 cups.
- Bring 8 cups of the broth back to a boil in the same pot and cook the spaghetti until just tender, about 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the broth.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9x13 baking dish. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chopped onion and green pepper until soft, about 6 minutes.
- Stir the cream of mushroom soup, the tomatoes with green chiles, the pimentos, the garlic powder and 1/2 cup of broth into the skillet. Heat until bubbling, then take it off the heat.
- In a very large bowl, combine the spaghetti, the chicken, the sauce and 2 cups of the cheddar. Fold gently until everything is coated. If it looks dry, add more broth a few tablespoons at a time; it should be creamy and loose, because it tightens in the oven. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish and scatter the remaining 1 cup of cheddar over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges bubble. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving.
