Chicken Spaghetti

We were introduced to Chicken Spaghetti several years ago when we lived in Corona, CA. My neighbor, Diane, was from Texas and shared her recipe with me. Now that we live in Texas it seems like everyone has a slightly different recipe for Chicken Spaghetti. This is Diane's recipe with a few alterations.... A new trick I have learned since moving here is to use chicken broth or stock instead of water for boiling the chicken - make sure not to dump it... you'll need it to cook the spaghetti. The original recipe called for a whole chicken, I find boneless chicken breasts are much easier.

4 or 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Chicken Broth (or water)
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
olive oil
1 can of condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can of condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can of rotel tomatoes w/ green chilies (mild)
8-10 oz. of spaghetti
Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1) Boil the chicken in a large pot of broth or water. Save the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken with a fork while it is still warm.

2) In a large skillet saute the onion and bell pepper in olive oil until soft.

3) In a large bowl, mix together soups, rotele tomatoes, onion and bell pepper, then add chicken and stir together.

4) Cook the spaghetti in a large pot in the reserved broth or cooking water until almost done. Save some of the cooking liquid before you drain the spaghetti.

5) Add spaghetti to the mixture and stir gently trying not to mush the pasta. If it looks dry add a little of the reserved cooking liquid. Place in a 9x13 casserole dish, the pasta will absorb liquid as it bakes so pour in a little more of the cooking water. Top with cheese, cover tightly and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes if desired.