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!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole by The BakerMama

Comfort Food with Ease

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! 😉

Chicken Parmesan Casserole by The BakerMama

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!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole by The BakerMama

How to Make Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-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.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole by The BakerMama

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.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole by The BakerMama

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.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole by The BakerMama

If you make this Chicken Parmesan Casserole, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. ???? I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Enjoy the yumminess!

xoxo,

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 by The BakerMama

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Maegan - The BakerMama
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
  • Yield: 8-10
  • Category: Meals

Description

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!


Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 11/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Parmesan Streusel:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup thinly chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil just before serving.

About The BakerMama

Maegan is the author of her best-selling Beautiful Boards, Spectacular Spreads and Brilliant Bites cookbooks. She started blogging in 2012 and features hundreds of original recipes on The BakerMama. She truly enjoys sharing her easy, family-friendly recipes, creative meal ideas, food board creations, and entertaining spreads to encourage others to get in the kitchen and make something memorable for their loved ones to enjoy together. Learn More

Follow us on social media:

Related

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Comments

  1. Can this recipe be made with rotisserie chicken? Can it be made a day in advance? Can it be frozen? I am making it for the first time for card club dinner tomorrow night.

    Thank you in advance for your response.

    Linda

    1. Hi Linda! I’ve never tested the recipe with rotisserie chicken or already cooked chicken so I’m not sure how the texture would hold up as the casserole bakes to cook the pasta. I’m thinking it would be best to wait until step 4 in the instructions and stir the rotisserie chicken into the cooked pasta at that point before proceeding with the recipe. To make in advance, I would recommend preparing it to the step just before adding the cheese and streusel on top and then let cool slightly before covering with foil and placing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Once ready to serve, remove it from the refrigerator and place it in a 350°F oven, still covered in foil, to heat through for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and proceed with topping the casserole with the cheese and streusel and baking it off. If you want to freeze the casserole, cover it with plastic wrap and then foil and let it chill completely in the refrigerator for several hours first. Then transfer the casserole to the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let it defrost completely in the refrigerator overnight and then remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil and heat in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Or you can heat directly from frozen by removing the plastic wrap, covering with foil and heating in a 350°F oven for about 1 hour or until heated through. I hope this helps and that everyone enjoys!

  2. Made this tonight and the family LOVED it! I used chicken thigh meat since I had it on hand, so the chicken was extra tender. I loved not having to boil the noodles or cook the chicken in advance — so easy and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!






    1. 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…

  3. 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!

See More Comments