This Chicken Parm Casserole Is for Weeknight Warriors
If you crave chicken Parmesan but don’t think you can pull off making it after a long day at work, I have just the recipe for you. With a few smart shortcuts this baked pasta delivers everything you love about the classic dish in easy-to-pull-off-on-a-weeknight casserole form.
Do you cook up a bunch of chicken during weekend meal prep to eat throughout the week? Great, you’ve already got a head start. If not, you can just swing by the grocery store on your way home from work and pick up a rotisserie chicken. The idea here is to shave off a little time by not having to cook the chicken first. The other shortcut is to use your favorite jarred marinara sauce — unless you have some homemade already waiting for you in the fridge!
Once you have those two items, all you have to do is boil some penne; toss it with the chicken, marinara, mozzarella, and Parmesan; transfer the pasta to a baking dish; and top with more mozzarella and a garlic-butter-Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture.
While this isn’t technically chicken Parmesan, it perfectly captures the essence of the dish. One bite of this warm, cheesy casserole — with its crunchy panko crust and tender chunks of chicken — and your tastebuds won’t know the difference!
More Casserole Recipes from Kitchn
→ Get the Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Baked Pasta from Two Peas and Their Pod