Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
- 1 ¾ cups milk (preferably not skim; recipe works best with 1%, 2% or whole milk)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or stock
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 ½ cups shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside (lift and separate the noodles a few times so they don’t stick as they cool). Don’t wash out the pot; just wipe dry, if needed.
- Add the milk, broth, and flour to a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Return the pot to medium heat. Melt the butter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 30-45 seconds, stirring often until the spices are sizzling and smell fragrant.
- Pour the milk mixture into the pot and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 2 cups of the cheddar cheese to the sauce (reserve the rest of the cheese for topping). Stir until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl (or back into the pot, if you prefer), add the cooked spaghetti and chicken. Toss and stir until the noodles and chicken are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Spread the pasta mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve warm.
Notes
- For best results, use freshly grated cheese instead of pre-shredded.
- You can substitute rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Lactose
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 110mg