Some casseroles are meant for your average Tuesday night. This one is meant for a crowd. Firehouse Chicken Spaghetti is the kind of creamy, cheesy, endlessly comforting casserole that can feed an entire fire station when it needs to. Whether you’re just cooking for your family or you’re cooking for a dozen hungry people on a moment’s notice, you need something that stretches, reheats well, and makes everybody happy. This comforting bake does all of that: a full 9×13 pan of chicken, spaghetti, and a creamy Rotel-spiked sauce, topped with a crunchy cornflake crust that gets golden and irresistible in the oven. Yum.

What Ingredients Do You Need for Firehouse Chicken Spaghetti?

• Cooked chicken. Shredded or chopped, whatever you prefer.
• Spaghetti.
• Cream of chicken soup.
• Rotel tomatoes. For a little tang and a little kick.
• Sour cream and whole milk.
• Butter.
• Lawry’s seasoned salt.
• Sharp cheddar cheese.
• Red bell pepper and onion. For some color, crunch, and flavor.
• Crushed cornflakes (not Frosted Flakes!) The topping that gives this casserole its signature crunch.

Why Cornflakes for the Topping?

It might seem like an odd choice at first, but cornflakes are a classic casserole trick for a reason. Crushed cornflakes crisp up beautifully in the oven without turning soggy the way breadcrumbs sometimes can, and they hold onto that golden color and crunch even after the casserole sits for a few minutes. (Just double check you’re grabbing the plain kind, not Frosted Flakes — that sweetness has no business here.) If cornflakes aren’t your thing, crushed Ritz crackers work as a substitute too, and so do Panko or basic breadcrumbs. (You just want some kind of crunch, somehow!)

How Do You Make Firehouse Chicken Spaghetti?

There’s no complicated techniques or overly involved prep here.

Start by cooking your spaghetti according to whatever the package says to do. While that’s happening, stir together your soup, Rotel, sour cream, milk, a couple tablespoons of melted butter, and the seasoned salt in a big bowl. That’s the sauce, and no you don’t have to pre-cook it.

Fold in the cheese, bell pepper, and onion, then stir in the cooked spaghetti and chicken until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning here, since this is your last chance before it bakes.

This is a great opportunity to use up some leftover rotisserie chicken. You can chop it or shred it… whatever you prefer. And canned chicken works too!

Transfer everything to a greased 9×13 baking dish, top with the crushed cornflakes, and drizzle the remaining butter over the top so it toasts up golden in the oven. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 45 minutes, and let it rest a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!