Description
This Monterey Chicken Spaghetti Casserole will be your new weeknight hero – all the flavor of your favorite chicken dish transformed into a cheesy, bacon-topped pasta bake that’s ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz spaghetti, broken into thirds
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 strips bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook spaghetti 2 minutes less than package directions, drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream cheese to skillet, stirring until melted. Add sour cream, soup, green chilies, and seasonings, stirring until combined.
- Mix in the cooked chicken. Remove from heat and stir in half of both cheeses until just combined.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked spaghetti with the chicken-cheese mixture. Transfer half to prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle half of remaining cheese over first layer, add remaining pasta mixture, then top with remaining cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more until bubbly and beginning to brown.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.