Chicken Parmesan Casserole Recipe

(1 vote)
17 Comments
3 minutes
May 16, 2023
Andi GleesonJump to Recipe

This Chicken Parmesan Casserole gives you the taste of a favorite Italian dish in an easy pasta bake recipe!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole - wearychef.com

Warm, satisfying dinners like this chicken parmesan casserole are my favorite way to end the day. I love to be safe and sound at home in the evenings and would almost always take that over going out! This weekend our friends offered to watch our boys for a couple hours so we could have some kid-free time. At first it was going to be for an early dinner, but then we realized that didn’t really want to go to dinner at 6:00 and then come home and do the bustle of the bedtime routine. We are used to eating pretty late, and once I’ve had dinner I’m ready to relax!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole - wearychef.com

We moved the time a little earlier and went to the mall instead. We wandered around and didn’t buy anything, and then we ended our afternoon date with a quick Trader Joe’s run. Yes, I’m serious! We are party animals. Call me crazy, but I would rather go wander around a mall kid free and then come home and relax with an easy dinner like a tasty casserole. This dish is the perfect way to get the flavor of classic chicken parmesan with a lot less effort.

This pseudo chicken parm makes a lot of food. It could easily feed a family of six, but if you have a smaller family then it makes great leftovers. My boys love getting warm leftover pasta in their lunches since they are sort of burned out on sandwiches, and I love having a an easy lunch to heat and eat too.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole - wearychef.com

The next time you want an easy family dinner or a fun (at home) date-night meal, you won’t be disappointed with this warm, cheesy casserole.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Chicken Parmesan Casserole - wearychef.com

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

This warm, cheesy casserole is a perfect weeknight meal!

  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 14 ounces box of bite-sized pasta like penne or rotini
  • 1 sweet onion diced
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
  • 28 ounces jar marinara sauce
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into 1″ cubes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain.
  3. While pasta cooks, spray a 12″ skillet or dutch oven with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, chicken, salt, a few grinds of pepper, and garlic. Saute until onion is tender and chicken is cooked through. Stir in marinara sauce, and bring to a simmer.
  4. Meanwhile, heat butter in a glass bowl in the microwave until melted. Stir bread crumbs and basil into the melted butter, and set aside.
  5. Turn off heat on the sauce. Stir in cooked pasta and mozzarella cubes, and transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle buttery bread crumbs over the pasta, and sprinkle parmesan cheese over that.
  6. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
  • Author: Andi
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Italian

 

Find more dinner recipes you’d like to try right here!

Andi Gleeson

17 comments

JoAnn
6 years ago

Can you use rotisserie chicken ( cut up) instead of ground? This looks absolutely wonderful. Thanks!

Callie
7 years ago

Its recipes like this that make me so excited to open your emails!!

Andi Gleeson
7 years ago

Oh, thank you!! ♥‿♥

Allison A
9 years ago

Thanks so much for this gem of a recipe, Andi! My toddler has been rejecting all homemade pasta dishes until we tried this one! It’s also been a challenge getting him to eat chicken and meat, and he ate this like a pro. :) Very appreciative!
Allison A.

Andi Gleeson
9 years ago

I’m so happy to hear it, Allison! It’s so hard to get kids to eat sometimes. I still struggle, and my boys are out of the toddler stage! Hope you had a good weekend :)

BeckyB
9 years ago

I made this dish this last week, in an effort to try your ” most ignored recipes”. It was SO fast and easy and also VERY yummy! I couldn’t believe how fast this went. My husband want it on a permanent rotation! Another hit Andi! Thanks!

Andi
9 years ago

Thanks for showing this neglected casserole some love, Becky :) I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you!

Jennifer
10 years ago

You have a knack for these one-dish dinners. This one is super, it was so easy to do. The whole family loved it. Thanks!

Andi
10 years ago

Thank you so much, Jennifer! I am so happy to hear that you guys liked it! :)

Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic
10 years ago

I love that this has all the flavors of chicken parm, but a lot less work!

Andi
10 years ago

Thanks, Bianca!

Norma| allspice and nutmeg
10 years ago

We are the same way, dinner and then home to watch a movie or food network. We live in the wild side. :)

Andi
10 years ago

We’re all party animals around here. We were like this even before we had kids. It’s how I convinced my husband to have a baby – it’s not like we will lose our exciting nightlife! ;)

Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness
10 years ago

HAHA me and my hubs are the same. A “Crazy” date night is going out for dinner. Usually we make dinner and watch food network all night. We’re pretty cool for being in out 20’s. I need this easy dinner…I LOVE leftovers because then I don’t have to make lunches for my hubby! ;) Pinned!

Andi
10 years ago

Thank you, Taylor! We were already like this in our 20s too! We did go out to dinner more before kids, but we were there early with the senior citizens ;)

Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy
10 years ago

LOVE THIS Andi!! I am all about huge dinners that will have leftovers for lunch the next day! And we are serious party animals, too. Nothing better than a date night at TJ’s or Walmart, lol!! Pinned!

Andi
10 years ago

Thank you, Jen! I was thinking of you for the family of six thing :) Matt and I actually have so much fun if we go to random stores together. The mall is usually boring, but we have had some good times at Hobby Lobby or Big Lots when there happened to be one near wherever we had dinner ;) #partylife

Leave a Reply

Your rating

Related Recipes