Recipe Background
A filling casserole with chicken, spaghetti, vegetables, and cheddar.
Spaghetti-for-All Casserole brings comfort to the table with a rich, savory embrace. The aroma of roasting chicken fills the kitchen first, mingling with bay leaf and salt, setting the stage for what's to come. As the chicken simmers, it releases flavors that transform the broth into a savory foundation for tender spaghetti. Each bite is coated with the creamy, familiar taste of mushroom soup, complementing the sweetness of tomatoes and the gentle kick of Worcestershire and hot sauces.
Preparing the vegetables, there's a rhythm to chopping onions, green peppers, and celery. These key players infuse the dish with a fresh, earthy bite, softening perfectly when sautéed in butter. The secret here is not to rush them—let the veggies sauté until they become tender and aromatic. This step builds layers of flavor that are only enhanced as they combine with the rest of the ingredients. Topped with a generous layer of melted cheddar, the casserole turns golden in the oven, marrying all elements under a bubbly crust.
Sharing this dish draws people closer. It's a casserole that calls for a gathering, where stories are shared as each serving warms and satisfies. Whether for a weekday dinner or a larger gathering, this casserole invites everyone to slow down, enjoy, and relish in the simple act of eating together.
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt plus more, to taste, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 medium-size green pepper coarsely chopped
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes drained
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- hot sauce to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup medium cheddar cheese shredded
Directions
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Place the chicken, 4 tablespoons of the salt, and the bay leaf in a large Dutch oven.
- Fill the Dutch oven with enough water to cover the chicken.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Cover the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through at 165 degrees F internally, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate, reserving the broth in the Dutch oven.
- Cool the chicken completely, about 20 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf, skin and bone the chicken, and cut the meat into pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Transfer and reserve 1/4 cup of the chicken broth.
- Bring the remaining broth to a boil in the Dutch oven over high heat.
- Break the spaghetti into thirds and cook it in the broth until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Drain the spaghetti well, discarding the broth it cooked in.
- Return the spaghetti to the Dutch oven.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, the green pepper, the celery, and the garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable mixture to the spaghetti.
- Stir together the cream of mushroom soup and the reserved broth.
- Stir the soup mixture into the spaghetti mixture.
- Stir the chicken, the diced tomatoes, the Worcestershire sauce, the hot sauce, and the black pepper into the pasta mixture.
- Season the mixture with the extra salt.
- Pour the spaghetti-chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Top the pasta mixture with the cheddar cheese.
- Bake until the cheese melts, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve.
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