Mexicana Chicken Spaghetti

My husband really enjoys this dish and suggested I share it with you all. I think this simple creation may be the reason he fell in love with me. It was also the first meal he asked me to make after 5 months without my cooking (Boot Camp, AIT training). :-)
It's my own Spicy Mexican spin on Chicken Spaghetti.
Many of you have had Queso dip at Mexican restaurants. Well often times they add Melted cheese, Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Onions and Ground Beef together and serve it as cheese dip with chips. Well I have a creation with similar ingredients to Queso and Chicken Spaghetti and made a pasta dish that is delicious and unique!

Ingredients:


Chicken breast - 2 to 3 (depending on size of chicken)
1 box Spaghetti or angel hair (serving size varies)
Velveeta - 12 oz serves 4 people
1/3 lb  Regular or Hot Ground Sausage or Ground beef (optional)
5oz (1/2 can of 10oz can) of Cream of mushroom

1- 10 oz can Regular Rotel 

Milk 1/2 - 1 cup (amount varies, add more if sauce gets too thick)

Garlic Powder -  5 dashes
Salt - 5 dashes
Ground Pepper - 5 dashes
Crushed Red Pepper - 3 dashes (optional)
Onion Powder - 3 dashes (optional)
Oil or 1/8 cup of butter (for cooking Chicken)
1 TBSP of Oil (For pasta)
1 dash of Salt (For Pasta
Garlic Powder - 2-3 dashes for Cheesy sauce

Directions:

1. Cook ground sausage or ground beef. For ground beef season with salt and Pepper (3 dashes of both). Cook until fully brown no pink.
2. Boil water with a dash of salt and a tablespoon of oil. When water reaches a boil add spaghetti as directed on the box's directions. When spaghetti is ready, drain in a strainer, and rinse noodles under cold water for 30 seconds to avoid sticking together. If noodles stick or dry out rinse in cold water again right before serving. Keep noodles in strainer until ready to serve.

Before Melted on Stove Top

3. Heat pan. Add oil or butter and chicken.
4. Season chicken with Garlic, Salt, Pepper crushed red pepper and onion powder if desired. Cut chicken into thin and small pieces (bite size) during cooking or before. Cook until no more pink is in the centers.
5. Add Velveeta, Rotel, cooked sausage, Cream of Mushroom and Milk to Either
Option 1: A pot on stove top
OR
Option 2: A large microwavable bowl

Option1:
Warming Sauce on Stove top: It will need to be stirred a lot. The danger of cooking it stove top is that the cheese could burn at the bottom. So keep the heat low or medium low and you should prevent this from happening. I also recommend breaking the Velveeta into smaller pieces. And stirring and watching closely. If the cheese burns at the bottom of the pan do not scrape the bottom when stirring. This way you can avoid burnt brown cheese in your food. If the burnt cheese somehow comes off the bottom, usually it is easy to pull out with a spoon or fork.

Melted and Mixed Sauce on Stove Top

*If cheese seems too thick add 1/4 cup of extra milk. If sauce is too watery let it keep warming on medium low and it will thicken. 

Option 2:

Warming sauce in the microwave: (No Pic sorry) Warm for a minute at first. Stir well Continue to heat 30 seconds and stir after each heating until cheese is fully melted and Rotel, cream of mushroom should be mixed in well.


7. Add cooked, bite size chicken pieces to the sauce & (if desired) extra Garlic seasoning.
9. Make sure sauce is warm, you can turn up heat but keep below medium to avoid burning).
8. Rinse noodles in strainer over with water to make sure they aren't sticking. Make sure they are drained well and Serve desired amount of noodles onto each plate.
9. Drizzle desired amount of cheesy, chicken sauce on top of spaghetti filled plate
And...
Dinner is served!

Great sides to add would be french bread, or canned corn.

Buen Provecho! Enjoy!