Whole30 Rotel Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Published Jun 05, 2020 Updated Jul 11, 2023
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My new Whole30 Rotel Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole will easily become a staple on you weekly menu. It is filled with dairy free cream cheese, chicken, spaghetti squash, rotel, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast. It is creamy, filling and out of this world delicious. But wait, there is more good news! It’s Keto, Paleo and Whole30 complaint.
Growing up, my momma would always make Rotel Chicken Spaghetti Casserole with crushed Doritos on the top. It was honestly one of my favorite recipes from my childhood and I crave it on occasion. Although the original recipe will always hold a special place in my heart, I wanted to create a healthier version for my family. This one come pretty darn close to tasting the same as my mother’s recipe. I did have to omit the Doritos from my new recipe, but it really didn’t really make a big impact to the taste.
Are Nut Cheeses Whole30 Compliant?
This is a question that is asked a lot by the Whole30 community. Below is Whole30 creator, Melissa Urban’s answer:
“Nut cheeses and dips ARE compliant on the program, with a strong caveat that these should be used with caution, especially if you know you rely on cheese as a comfort or stress-relieving food, OR if cheese is a trigger for other food cravings (like wine or crackers). As with Larabars or almond butter, Whole30 HQ and our Coaches all recommend that program participants use with caution, and think critically about whether including these foods in their Whole30 is a healthy choice, given their contexts and goals.”
Whole30 Compliant Brands of Dairy Free Cream Cheese:
- Kitehill
- Nush Cheese Natural
- Pamela Creamery Creamy Nutcheese Original
Ingredients for this Whole30 Rotel Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Diced chicken
- Spaghetti squash
- Nutritional yeast
- Kite Hill cream cheese (dairy free)
- Garlic and onion powder
- Rotel
- Salt/pepper
- Coconut milk
Rotel Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Whole30 + Keto)
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash about 2 pounds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 chicken breast cooked and diced
- 1 1/2 cans rotel drained
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 container of Kite Hill cream cheese
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 cup coconut milk canned unsweetened
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and ribbing.
- Drizzle the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet and use a fork to poke holes.
- Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside, and fork tender (Time will vary based on the size of the squash).
- Remove from the oven and flip the squash so that it’s cut side up. When cool to the touch, use a fork to scrape and fluff the strands from the sides of the squash.
- Place these spaghetti squash strands into a large mixing bowl.
- Reduce oven heat to 350F.
- Cut the cooked chicken breast into bite size pieces. Add to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Drain the cans of rotel and transfer to the chicken in the skillet along with the dairy free cream cheese, nutritional yeast, coconut milk, salt, pepper, ghee and garlic/onion powder. Heat for 5 minutes or until everything is combined.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to the spaghetti squash and mix together.
- Pour into a lightly greased 8x11 casserole dish.
- Bake on 350F for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and heated through.
Notes
- This will last in the fridge for up to 5 days in an air tight container.
- Freeze up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love this Whole30 Rotel Chicken Spaghetti? Check out my other favorites below:
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole (Whole30 + Keto)
- Hibachi Shrimp Veggie Pasta (Whole30 + Keto)
- Butternut Squash Skillet (Whole30)
I made this last night and it is fabulous! So flavorful and I didn’t miss the Doritos one bit 😉
This recipe was divine! My whole entire picky family loved it! I even took it to a friend’s house who is doing the 28 say challenge with me and she raved about it too! Thanks for sharing!
YAY! Thank you Leslie
So so good!! My husband who loves all things dairy approved of dinner tonight as well!
I don’t have Kite cream cheese but found alternative. I don’t see how many ounces the cream cheese should be. Should it be an “container” meaning 8oz?
Yes a kite hill container is 8oz. So that would work
This was amazing!
Yum! This was so good! Will definitely make it again! Added crumbled bacon on top. Delicious! My husband who sometimes doesn’t love spaghetti squash ate it and loved it.
Fire! So delicious. I changed the cheeses a little bit and used half shredded cheddar. So good though. You forget you are eating vegi’s and cheese.
So happy to hear it was a hit! Thank you
Great recipe!! It was devoured by my family. They could not believe that there was no cheese in this dish. Very tasty and will be on our recipe list from now on. Thank you!
Trista, this is great to hear. I am so glad it was a success.
I am not super strict with Whole30. Will using whipped cream cheese give it the same flavor/texture? I couldn’t find the dairy free version and can’t handle another store run today!
Great question Jenny,
Im really not sure how the whipped cream cheese would work. I’ve never tried before. Let me know your results if you use. THanks so much.
This recipe is so delicious! I used Siete Spicy Vegan Queso in place of the kite hill cream cheese and nutritional yeast, since I couldn’t find them the day I went shopping. Highly recommend, even with my modifications!
Love your modifications. Sounds amazing!!! Thank you
This recipe looks delicious! Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to try it. While doing some research for Whole30 I found that cheese substitutes technically aren’t Whole30 approved. So for those who are trying to complete one, hopefully this isn’t a hiccup in their journey!
Actually those cheese subs are complaint. I used to be a coach and am very in tune with what’s compliant and what’s not. Be sure to check out their website. Here is an exact quote from Melissa, the founder. “Nut cheeses and dips ARE compliant on the program, with a strong caveat that these should be used with caution, especially if you know you rely on cheese as a comfort or stress-relieving food, OR if cheese is a trigger for other food cravings (like wine or crackers). As with Larabars or almond butter, Whole30 HQ and our Coaches all recommend that program participants use with caution, and think critically about whether including these foods in their Whole30 is a healthy choice, given their contexts and goals.”