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Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian Inspired, Southern
Keyword chicken-parmesan-casserole, easy-chicken-parmesan
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 525kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound box penne pasta cooked to al dente
  • 1 1/2-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 inch cubes
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 3 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cups prepared marinara sauce i.e. Bertolli or similar
  • 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided use
  • Topping:
  • 1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs (or classic dried breadcrumbs)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 1-2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley for serving

Instructions

  • Cook the penne pasta in salted water per the package instructions. Drain well then add back to the pasta pot.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Season chicken cubes on all sides using salt and black pepper. Drizzle a large skillet with olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet using a slotted spoon.
  • To the skillet add diced onion and crushed red pepper flakes. Continue to cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes or just until softened scraping any brown bits from bottom of pan. Add garlic cooking for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.
  • Combine: To the cooked penne pasta add cooked chicken, onion, Italian seasoning, 5 cups marinara sauce and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Mix to combine then pour into the baking dish.
  • Drizzle the top with the reserved 1 cup marinara and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
  • Topping: In a small bowl, mix together panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and granulated garlic with melted butter. Sprinkle over shredded cheese.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and the top is golden.
  • Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1653mg | Potassium: 1071mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1275IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 4mg