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This Chicken Parmesan Casserole has all of the deliciousness of chicken parmesan packed into a crowd-pleasing cheesy pasta casserole! A combination of penne pasta, marinara sauce, tender chicken and melty cheese bake to bubbly perfection for the best family dinner!
If you love casseroles as much as my family does, give this Cheeseburger Casserole a try next.
A warm, cheesy chicken parmesan casserole is wonderful year-round, but my family really LOVES this meal when the weather starts to get cooler. Casseroles like this one are just so comforting and hearty! Even though I love classic chicken parmesan, I have to say the joining of crispy chicken, pasta and melty cheese all baked together is so incredibly delicious!
Recipe highlights
- Ultimate comfort food: This chicken parmesan casserole uses well-seasoned, breaded chicken, pasta, marinara and cheese to create a warm, satisfying dinner the whole family will devour.
- Easy: There are several steps to making this recipe; like prepping the chicken, boiling the pasta, and assembling, but all of the methods are simple!
- Uses simple ingredients: With this recipe, you won’t have to run to the store and grab a bunch of seasonings you will never use again. To make this, you’ll be using classic ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Pasta: I like to use penne pasta for this recipe. However, other short pastas will work, such as rigatoni, elbows, bowtie (farfalle) or rotini.
- Marinara sauce: This is what will give the dish lots of its flavor, so pick a marinara that you really love. You can even use homemade marinara sauce!
- Chicken: You’ll need boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to give the chicken extra flavor.
- Flour: For dredging the chicken to create a crispy crust.
- Eggs: Dipping the chicken into beaten eggs will help the breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken better.
- Breadcrumbs: Makes the outer layer of the chicken extra crispy.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds bold, sharp flavor to the chicken and casserole.
- Olive oil: For cooking the chicken. Use more or less, depending on how many separate batches you need to cook.
- Mozzarella cheese: Mozzarella gets extra melty adding major cheesiness to the dish.
See a full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below!
Variations and substitutions
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs could be used instead of the chicken breasts.
- This dish can easily be made gluten free by using a gluten-free all-purpose flour for breading the chicken and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Panko breadcrumbs are great for making the chicken extra crunchy and golden brown.
- Sub the mozzarella cheese with an Italian cheese blend for even more flavor.
How to make Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package direction. Reserve 1 cup of the water, then drain the pasta and set aside in a bowl. In a large jug, combine the marinara sauce and reserved pasta water. Season to your taste. Stir the cooked pasta with the marinara.
Step 2: Dredge the seasoned chicken cutlets into flour, then dip into the beaten eggs. Next, in a shallow plate combine the breadcrumbs with the parmesan. Coat the chicken cutlets with the parmesan-breadcrumb mixture.
Step 3: Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken cutlets until golden-brown and crispy on both sides, around 6-7 minutes per side. Set aside on a chopping board.
Step 4: Take a large baking dish and spread half of your pasta. Top with sliced chicken cutlets and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat the layers, finishing off with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS 😍
Recipe Tips
- When boiling the pasta, cook to al-dente because it will continue to cook as the assembled casserole bakes.
- Watch the casserole closely as it’s cooking! You don’t want it to over-bake because the pasta will become mushy.
- Garnish the finished dish with chopped fresh parsley or basil for more color and flavoring on top.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend noodles that are a good shape for grabbing ahold of the cheese and tomato sauce, so there’s tons of flavor in every bite. A short pasta like penne is my favorite! Other great options are rotini, fusilli, rigatoni, shells or even elbow macaroni.
It’s important when making a casserole with pasta in it that you only pre-cook the pasta to al dente (and not all the way through). The noodles will continue to cook in the casserole, so if they are boiled until completely done, they can become mushy.
No, everything is pre-cooked before the casserole goes into the oven, so it only needs to bake for about 15 minutes and just until the cheese is melted. If you cover it with aluminum foil, the cheese will not get melty and the top of the casserole will not get that golden-brown color that we want.
Serving suggestions
Chicken parmesan casserole is a dish you can serve with a lot of things. Here are some delicious options:
- Since this dish doesn’t include any veggies, I like to prepare a green vegetable to serve on the side like parmesan baked asparagus, sautéed green beans, or air fryer broccoli.
- Serve with cheesy garlic bread or garlic knots to soak up the marinara sauce.
- A side salad is always a great choice to pair with a cheesy casserole. We love this kale Caesar Salad with Italian recipes. You can omit the chicken.
Storage recommendations
- Storing leftovers: This casserole is best enjoyed warm, straight out of the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat leftovers in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or warm individual servings in the microwave until heated.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this casserole because the pasta will not have the best texture once thawed.
More chicken dinners
- Asparagus Stuffed Chicken
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Chicken Carnitas
- Chicken Al-Pastor
- Chicken Tinga
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
If you try a recipe and you like it, leave me some feedback in the comment section below, and don’t forget to rate it!
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Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 15 ounces marinara sauce, one can
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided to cook the chicken
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package direction. I like to undercook it for 2 minutes, as it will continue to cook later on in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup of the water, then drain the pasta and set aside in a bowl.
- In a large jug, combine the marinara sauce and reserved pasta water. Season to your taste.
- While the pasta cooks, slice the chicken breasts in half, lengthwise to get 4 cutlets. Rub each with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- In a shallow plate combine the breadcrumbs with the parmesan and set aside. Dredge the seasoned chicken cutlets into flour, then dip them into the beaten eggs. Next, coat the chicken cutlets with the parmesan-breadcrumb mixture.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken cutlets until golden-brown and crispy on both sides, around 6-7 minutes per side. Set aside on a chopping board.
- Allow the cutlets to sit for a couple of minutes, then slice them and get ready to assemble the dish.
- Stir the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce.
- Take a large baking dish and spread half of your pasta. Top with sliced chicken cutlets and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers, finishing off with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Notes
- Storing leftovers: This casserole is best enjoyed warm, straight out of the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat leftovers in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes or warm individual servings in the microwave until heated.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this casserole because the pasta will not have the best texture once thawed.
- Air fry the chicken breasts and skip the olive oil.
- Bake the chicken instead.
- Skip the breading and grill the chicken.
- Use chickpea or lentil pasta
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s so yummy