There are so many nights when you need a quick and easy recipe and this easy chicken casserole recipe can be the perfect dinner on those days when you just want to throw something together quickly.
Now – when I think of chicken casseroles, I don't usually think of chicken parmesan. I usually think of some sort of chicken/rice/”cream of whatever” soup/frozen vegetables concoction. Let me tell you – I have “cream of whatever” soups and my children aren't going to eat broccoli, no matter how much cheese and cream sauce you dump on it. I needed to get a little more creative.
Chicken Parmesan is a favorite in our house (followed closely by my crockpot chicken tacos), so I knew that this recipe would make my family happy – and it was just such an easy chicken casserole recipe that I think that the next time that I make it, I am just going to line up a bunch of foil pans and make extras for the freezer (just like I did with my super easy macaroni & cheese recipe). I saw some variations of this recipe online, but most of them involved starting with raw chicken and I didn't like the idea of all the rest of the ingredients basically boiling in the chicken juice/fat as it cooked.
Super easy solution! Use cooked chicken!
To make my Chicken Parmesan Casserole, you will need:
- 2 lbs cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (shredded or cubed)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups prepared pasta sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 oz freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5-5 oz bag of croutons, crushed (I like the Texas Toast Garlic ones)
Scroll down for the complete directions!
Do you have an easy chicken casserole recipe to share? Post it in the comments!
- 2 lbs cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (shredded or cubed)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups prepared pasta sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 oz freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5-5 oz bag of croutons, crushed (I like the Texas Toast Garlic ones)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Toss the chicken with the garlic, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano and then spread the chicken evenly in the bottom of the baking dish
- Spread the pasta sauce evenly over the chicken
- Spread half of the Mozzarella and half of the Parmesan evenly across the top of the sauce.
- Sprinkle crushed croutons over the top, the spread the remaining cheese over the top
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
Mindi has been blogging since 2008 sharing her best frugal living tips, recipes and more. When she isn't writing, she spends time as an unpaid cook, maid and chauffeur to her 3 children!
