No boiling pasta or breading chicken to make this Chicken Parmesan Casserole. An incredibly easy and fun spin on a classic the whole family will love!
We definitely welcomed winter here in Dallas this week and all I’m craving is warm and comforting food to keep me from freezing to death. Okay, it’s only in the 30’s, but that’s still pretty darn cold. I know many of you live in places where it’s below zero right now and you’re probably laughing at me for saying I’m freezing, but I’m such a wimp when it comes to winter. Brrrr!
As soon as the temps started to drop, I started planning out all the yummy soups, stews and casseroles I love to make during cold weather. I try to keep them simple so I have more time to snuggle up under a blanket and complain about how cold I am! 😉
Everybody loves chicken Parmesan and this spin on the Italian classic is so easy you’ll want to make it every night of the week.
And when I say easy, I mean easy easy! You don’t even have to boil the pasta. It just cooks as it bakes. I have to admit, I was kinda proud of myself when I thought to try baking the pasta without boiling it first. Game changer! No time wasted waiting for water to boil and the pasta bakes up perfectly…not too soft, not too firm!
Oh, and you don’t have to bread the chicken either. Pieces of chicken are baked in with the pasta and then the casserole is covered in a savory parmesan streusel that creates the same cheesy crisp coating everyone loves about chicken parmesan.
You’re going to want to bake this casserole over and over and over again, it’s so darn delicious and super easy!
Enjoy the yumminess!
xoxo,
- 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup panko
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup thinly chopped fresh basil
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the pasta, chicken pieces, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, marinara and chicken broth. Pour evenly into prepared pan. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- While the pasta is baking, prepare the Parmesan streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, panko and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Stir in the parmesan.
- Once pasta has baked for 45 minutes, remove the foil from the pan and gently stir pasta mixture around. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and then the Parmesan streusel. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and streusel is crisp.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil just before serving.
Yep, I absolutely want some of this casserole, especially since it’s felt so wintery recently! Something about the chilly weather makes me crave all those warm and comforting dishes, and this Chicken Parmesan Casserole sounds like the perfect combination for a cold winter’s day!
Craving all of the chees-y comfort of this chicken casserole right now. It looks incredible!
Looks absolutely divine perfect for serving at dinner parties! 🙂 Xo, Alison
http://www.simplyfairbyalisonjeanine.com
Can you please share what brand and where you purchased your “casserole pan”? Thank you!!
Hi Karen! It’s from 360 Bakeware. Here’s the link: http://www.360cookware.com/products/9-x-13-stainless-steel-bake-roast-pan. Pricey, but hands down the best bakeware I’ve ever baked with. Love it!
[…] Chicken Parmesan Casserole from The Baker […]
Fabulous!!
Would this work with rice pasta as well?
Hi Sarah! I’m not sure as I’ve never cooked with rice pasta. If it cooks similar to regular pasta, I’d say it would be worth a try. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Omg this was great! My kids loved it. I loved it. And hubby loved it. Winnnnnner!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing! Glad you and your family loved it! 🙂
Hi! Just wondering do you have to cook the chicken prior to placing it in the casserole to cook with the pasta?
Hi Anna! No, it all cooks as the casserole bakes. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious and I’m delighted that it is so easy to make! Have made it three times now, each time tweaking to our own tastes. Family has loved it! Thank you!!!
Could I use regular bread crumbs instead of Panko?
Hi Jan! Yes, I just prefer panko because they’re bigger and crispier, but regular bread crumbs would still taste great too. Enjoy!
I’m about to make this using bowties, should I adjust the cooking time?
Hi Katie! No, I think you should be just fine on the baking time with bowtie pasta instead of penne. Enjoy!
How long would the bake time be if you double or triple the recipe. I need to feed 8 adults, 2 teenagers and 6 younger ones.
Thank you
Hi Heather! I would recommend baking them in multiple 9×13-inch baking pans/dishes and keeping the baking time the same. Enjoy!
Hi! I was copying an older version of this recipe into my personal recipe files, and I noticed you used to have all-purpose flour in the streusel. May I ask why it was removed? I want to optimize my casserole! Thanks!
Hi Laura! I updated the recipe after making it a few times without the flour and finding that the texture of the streusel was actually better without it. The panko gives it such a great crunch that I felt was weighed down by the flour in the original recipe. 🙂
Do you cook the chicken before putting it in the pan to bake?
Hi Joanna! No, it all cooks as the casserole bakes. Enjoy!
Hi there! Any thoughts on if this could be frozen before baking (to give to a new mom)? Thanks!
Hi Mia! I would recommend baking it and then freezing it so she could just defrost and reheat. I’m afraid the other ingredients will absorb too much of the chicken broth if frozen before baking which could result in a dried out casserole or the pasta turning out crunchy since it cooks while the casserole bakes. I hope this helps!
My husband is allergic to chicken broth is there any thing else I can use.
Hi Angela! You could use vegetable broth or just water as a substitute for the chicken broth. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Made this for supper tonight. It was excellent. A keeper recipe for sure.
So great to hear, Debbie! It’s one of our favorite dinners too! Continue to enjoy! 🙂
Hi Maegan.. Would I be able to prepare this the night before and keep it in the fridge to bake the next day for dinner? I start work really early and get home in the evening so prepping the night before is a must for me and my family
Hi Heather! Absolutely, such a great idea! Just prep up to the point of baking, keep covered in the refrigerator and bake when ready. Enjoy!
I made this for dinner tonight and my husband that is a picky eater even loved it. The crunch of the parm cheese made this dish delish. It was defiantly a WIN for this house.
Oooo.. this was delish! The only thing I did different was made my marinara sauce from scratch instead of using a store bought one (got the recipe from allrecipes.com) and I used gluten free pasta and bread crumbs. I Loved how you just put it all together and baked it. Everything was cooked perfectly and everyone loved it! Thank You!
This was delicious!! All six of my kids ate it and loved it!!! Miracle meal! Thank you for the recipe!!
Yay, Summer! This makes my day! So happy to hear your sweet family enjoyed it so much! xoxo
Super easy and delicious! Any thoughts as to how you would adjust to prepare in the pressure cooker?
Hi Amy! I’ve never used a pressure cooker so I couldn’t say for sure, but from what I hear, I’m thinking you could prepare the recipe as is, just in the pressure cooker, but you probably won’t get the crisp streusel on top that gives the casserole that familiar chicken parmesan texture. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out! Fingers crossed…