A make-ahead Chicken Parmesan Casserole is an easy weeknight meal, perfect for just about any occasion.
Do you make freezer meals?
So many of my readers ask me if some of my recipes can be frozen or, more importantly, HOW they can be frozen. In most cases, I would write them “I’m sorry but I’m not much help because I don’t normally freeze meals.” That was a very honest answer because I rarely had the need to freeze meals.
But……How things change!
I became interested in making freezer meals after my baby boy was born. He demanded every minute of our attention, which left little time to do anything else. But I didn’t want to eat take-out or pre-made grocery store meals every night. So I started making meals in bulk when I had an extra hour or two and freezing them for later.
My husband and I relied on these quick meals for the baby boy’s first year.
This Chicken Parmesan Casserole is sooooo delicious, and ridiculously easy to make. It can also be made ahead of time, if desired. Just pull it out of the freezer, pop it in your oven, and the aroma of comfort food will begin to fill your home.
Served with a spaghetti or a favorite pasta, Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole is a healthy, quick and easy chicken dish that makes a perfect weeknight meal…
A make-ahead Chicken Parmesan Casserole is an easy weeknight meal, perfect for just about any occasion. Just pull it out of the freezer, pop it in your oven, and the aroma of comfort food will begin to fill your home.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 jar (28 oz) of marinara sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc.), chopped
Instructions
- Season chicken breast with garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a medium pan, cook chicken on each side for 6-7 minutes per side, until is cooked through.
- Remove from pan and cut into 1 inch cubes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 9x13 dish with cooking spray.
- Layer the chopped chicken in the bottom. Pour in the marinara sauce and mix with the chicken.
- Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, until all the chicken/marinara mixture is covered.
- In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil and fresh herbs together.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the cheese layer.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides.
- Sprinkle freshly chopped herbs before serving if desired.
- * If you want to make this ahead, just put casserole together, and freeze it before baking
- when you ready to prepare it, thaw completely before baking.
Notes
