My Dump-and-Bake Skinny Chicken Parmesan Casserole is a one-dish dinner that’s nutritious, easy to prepare, and incredibly family-friendly! Just combine the raw ingredients in a pan and pop it in the oven — no prep work involved. Busy weeknights never tasted so good!
You guys!!! This recipe is the dinnertime trifecta: easy, healthy, and kid-friendly!!!
As you probably know by now, I’m working with Kohl’s this season on the #MakeYourMove campaign. As I mentioned in my first post, the goal of the Make Your Move program is to show Americans that living well and feeling good can be easy and fun. Getting healthy doesn’t have to be about deprivation or punishment. Instead, let’s lead a balanced and healthier life by doing the things that energize, enliven, and motivate us! We can celebrate delicious foods, find physical activities that bring us joy, and learn to focus more on the important people and moments in our lives.
Kohl’s also shares my view that this season should be about coming together, celebrating our loved ones, and enjoying each other’s company. The “All Together Now” theme applies to special holiday meals where we can serve delicious and nutritious dishes, as well as your average crazy-busy weeknight supper when we’re scrambling to pull together a meal.
This lightened-up casserole is the perfect example of a simple and healthy supper that brings the family together — even on busy evenings, and keeps you out of the kitchen with very little prep work.
There’s no need to boil the pasta in advance or used pre-cooked chicken. Instead, all of the ingredients mingle, share seasonings, and cook together in one big pan. My baking vessel of choice? This awesome Food Network™ Porcelain Lasagna Dish from Kohl’s!
It’s a traditional and versatile white, which means that it will match any kitchen, coordinate with any holiday decor, and make any food look fresh and clean! Plus, it’s really deep so that I can easily stir the ingredients in the dish without worrying that I’ll end up with marinara sauce all over my countertop.
And you know who loved the food inside my dish? This little guy!
While all of my boys devoured this meal, I think that it has quickly become Spence’s favorite dinner. As you can see, I couldn’t even snap photos without him taking the food straight off of the tray! I have SO MANY Spencer photobombs from this particular shoot — he just couldn’t help himself!
This Dump-and-Bake Skinny Chicken Parmesan Casserole is a dinner that brings our family together, keeps everyone happy, and nourishes our bodies. That’s exactly how I like to spend the holiday season!
[Tweet “Dump-and-Bake Skinny Chicken Parmesan Casserole is healthy & family-friendly! #FitFluential #MakeYourMove @Kohls”]
Dump-and-Bake Skinny Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 13.25 ounce package uncooked whole grain penne pasta (can substitute with rotini or other similar small pasta)
- 1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 ½ lbs. raw chicken breast tenders or thinly sliced chicken breast
- 1 ½ cups reduced-fat shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs or whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Optional: fresh chopped herbs such as basil, oregano, and parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spray a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add pasta, marinara sauce, and water to the dish and stir to combine. Place chicken in a single layer on top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. You want to make sure that your dish is covered tightly so that none of the moisture escapes (the pasta needs to absorb the liquid as it cooks). Bake the covered dish for 30 minutes.
- Uncover; stir.
- Spread mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted, top is golden brown, pasta is tender, and chicken is cooked through).
Looking to simplify your life even more? Check out my eCookbook Fast, Fresh & Fit!, which includes some of our family’s easy go-to recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — and none of them require much prep time! You can learn more HERE!
Looking for more family-friendly dinner options? Try these favorites:
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Taco Casserole
Aunt Bee’s 5-Ingredient Cowboy Chili
Slow Cooker Chicken & Biscuits
This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Kohl’s.
My husband loves chicken parmesan, so I think he would devour this in no time! I love that it’s skinny and so easy to prepare! I’ve definitely got to add this to my meal rotation! 🙂
Thanks, Gayle! Your hubby will love this!!
Ooooh! Pasta that is skinny? You are speaking my language, Blair! Love this!
Exactly, Jen…the best of all worlds!! 🙂
Blair, I was wondering, I have chicken and pasta left over from a couple days ago do you think it would be ok to use that in this recipe?
Hey, Patti! Definitely, although the cooking time will be much shorter because you’re starting with cooked meat and pasta, rather than raw. I would just heat it at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until it’s warmed through. You will also not need the water that’s called for in the recipe. The water is necessary when starting with raw pasta because the dried pasta absorbs all of that water as it cooks. If you’re using pre-cooked pasta, just leave the water out and only use the marinara. Hope that helps!
THREE DAY RULE – THROW IT OUT OR FREEZE IT.
You are really speaking my language with this, Blair! I love Italian food, and I love anything that is quick and simple when it comes to cooking. I don’t mind cooking too much, but it’s not my fave thing. This dish is a life-saver!
It’s hard to argue with easy pasta chicken dinners, right Sarah?!
Blair, this casserole looks simply heavenly! And so easy to whip up, too! I’ve GOT to try this! Pinned! 🙂
Thanks for the pin, Anna! I hope that you get to try it. It’s very kid-friendly, too! 🙂
Anything with the title ‘dump and bake’ and ‘skinny’ sounds like a kick butt meal! Love those little fingers trying this amazing dish 😉
Thanks, Chrissa! I bet your little guy would love to get his hands on some of it too!
Blair I LOVE you for this – I was pondering what I should make with the chicken & spinach in my fridge. I was completely lacking inspiration & then saw this. Thank you!
Awesome, Gina! I hope that your family loves it as much as mine! 🙂
Oh my goodness this looks amazing!! And so easy. Plus, I think my kids would actually eat this too!
Awesome! I hope they love it, Christine!!
I was drawn to this site by the ‘skinny pasta’ tag, and the intro says it’ skinny, but there is no nutritional info included, so how am I to know that it is truly skinny, or healthy?
Hi, Deb! I called it a “healthy” version of Chicken Parm because it uses wholegrain pasta, reduced-fat cheese, lean chicken, and it’s not fried (like traditional Chicken Parm). BUT, since you requested the information, I went ahead and included the Nutrition Information (just below the recipe) so that you can see all of the details. Hope that helps, and thanks for your feedback!
This really had no flavor. The chicken was juicy, but most of the pasta was uncooked. The timing was off, because when we took it out at 40 minutes the chicken was still pretty raw and the pasta was hard. It took another 20-30 min just to get the chicken cooked all the way through. Three of us ate it and none of us liked it.
I’m sorry that you didn’t care for it, Rose. 🙁 Did you use the thinly sliced chicken breasts or tenders? I find that the thin-cut of meat is the key to getting it to cook in time with the pasta. Again, sorry you weren’t a fan!
I had the same experience. Timing was way off. After the initial 30 minutes, the chicken was raw except for the pieces on the edge of the dish and the pasta was super hard. I thinly sliced the chicken to avoid this but this did not help at all. Very dissapointing. I would not recommend this dish at all.
After reading the recipe and comments- I gave this a try and it was very delicious! Due to the response from one rater, I added a spices on top of the layer of chicken (parsley, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder), and these flavors seemed to work well! With the thin sliced chicken breasts, the pasta and chicken turned out quite perfect baking together. Thank you!
Oh, yay! So glad that you enjoyed it, Katherynn! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner. I made a couple of changes based on the reviews and what I had on had. I heated the water before I added it to the sauce and noodles. I also added half a container of chive and onion cream cheese and frozen basil cubes. The chicken and pasta were done at 35 minutes. It turned out really yummy! Thank you!
Sounds great, Stefanie! Thanks for letting us know, and I’m glad that you enjoyed it!!
I was conflicted about making this due to the various reviews, but thought I’d give it try given the fact that we love chicken parmesan and the ease of this recipe. In my humble opinion, it’s a keeper! I’m not sure why for some the chicken or the pasta didn’t cook, but mine turned out perfect. I did add some Italian seasoning and a touch of garlic powder, but that is the only change I would make to this recipe. Thanks for such a yummy and easy weeknight (or any night) meal!
Hey, Karen! That’s great — I’m so glad that it worked for you and that you enjoyed the dinner. Thanks for letting us know!!! 🙂
I made this for dinner and work lunches for the week. Super easy to make! Followed the directions and just added a few more spices, and it was delicious. Cook times were good for me. Used thinly sliced chicken. Turned out great, very delicious! Thanks.
Thanks for letting me know, Jessie! I’m glad that you liked it! 🙂
I made this last night and loved that neither the pasta or raw meat needed to be cooked separately in advance. When I first took the dish out after the 30 minutes, there was still a lot of liquid and I was a little worried. But after I added the cheese and breadcrumbs and put it back in the oven uncovered for 10 minutes, all of the excess liquid had absorbed. I used turkey cutlets as the meat, so they were nice and thin and cooked thoroughly. I will definitely make this again and give the recipe to my college student daughter. Thank you!
That’s so great! Thanks for letting me know, Diana! 🙂
I just made this for dinner and it turned out perfect. The extra liquid I observed after the first half hour of cooking had disappeared after I added the cheese and bread crumbs. Such an easy meal to put together … And delicious too!
Excellent! Thanks for the feedback, Deb!!
This looked so good and wasn’t even edible. It has NO flavor at all. I even added spices to it oregano, garlic powder, etc and it was so beyond bland. I used regular bread crumbs since couldn’t find whole wheat thinking would actually make it better. So disappointed
First of all, this casserole made the house smell *divine*. I needed something quick, simple and delicious, and this worked perfectly.
I cut the recipe in half and used provolone slices instead of grated mots, because that’s all I had. Still. Delicious. I let it set ten minutes after it came out of the oven, my husband and I circling like a pair of vultures around the kitchen island as we waited. It was delicious. Neither of us loves Italian food, but we tore this up!
You’re a genius, Blaire.
Also, to anyone making this who is iffy about the flavor, iiiit’s probably your pasta sauce. Choose a more robust sauce next time and I promise it’ll knock your socks all the way off.
Thanks so much, Nessa! I’m glad that you loved the meal as much as we do! I totally agree — the sauce makes the dish (since that’s the major flavor component), so it’s key to pick one that you like. 🙂
Hi, I just made this for dinner and it’s delicious! So easy to prepare, no pots to wash, my 6y/o loves it and it’s WW friendly! I followed the recipe exactly except I seasoned everything with my own Italian favorites.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I look forward to trying out your other “dump and bake” recipes!
Fondly, Karen
Hi, Karen! I’m so glad that you and your little one enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This was really good! I read the other reviews adding garlic powder and oregano, baked according to the directions and it was perfect. Will definitely be making again and trying your other recipes. This was so simple and quick to put together! I really like recipes which are easy to make.
Awesome! So glad that you enjoyed it, Annette!
Made this tonight. I added a little bit of Italian seasoning and garlic powder to the pasta mixture. Baked for the 30mins covered I was worried because there was still quite a bit of liquid. But I followed the rest of the instructions and it came out perfect. It was delicious although next time I would probably decrease bread crumbs a little as they seemed a bit much. Thanks
Great, Kristen! Thanks so much for the feedback!
I just found your site today and made this recipe tonight. I made some small changes: cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and seasoned them (salt, pepper, oregano) before adding to the pasta and used crushed garlic croutons instead of bread crumbs. I also used regular pasta instead of whole wheat – yes, I know the whole wheat pasta makes it healthier, but my husband absolutely will not eat it (I’ve tried blind taste tests – he can tell the difference). For anyone who has the same problem, I used 14 oz of pasta and 20 oz of water, plus about 25 oz of sauce. I also mixed a little basil paste into the cheese, and used shredded rather than grated parm. The casserole turned out really well – I’m sure it would have been fabulous without these changes, too. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi, Mia! Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, and I appreciate your tips for the different modifications. Sounds great!
Wish I read all the reviews. This looked so great and easy. But after 40 minutes it was so undercooked. 20min more of cooking and some of chicken still looked until cooked, the ones in the middle especially. Even the pasta was still too hard. I used thin chicken strips that I further cut into smaller pieces. Followed the recipe exactly.
This was delicious, and quite filling! It did cost me 10 freestyle smartpoints, but that’s to be expected with a pasta dish, and since my breakfast and lunch points are so small, it really doesn’t hurt. I love how it comes together quickly. I think I got this together and in the oven in about 5 minutes or less. Perfect busy night meal, or when you just don’t feel like cooking, without the compromise of eating fast food. I did use Barilla Protein Plus for the pasta, just because we like it better. That may or may not effect the Freestyle points. So keep that in mind if you’re a Weight Watcher. Calculate it with your ingredients. But seriously, Blair, this dish is as delicious as it looks! Love it love it! I will be making this again and again. Since it’s so fast to put together, I’m thinking I might make a couple of them and freeze them for later.
Hi, Christine! Thanks so much for your note! I’m glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can this be made and frozen for later use?
Hi, Ann! Yes, I think it would work well as a freezer meal. I would freeze it BEFORE baking, and then when you’re ready to cook it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. 🙂
I would cook or brown the chicken first. I baked this for 30 minutes and it was very watery and the chicken wasn’t done. Cooked for 20 more minutes but still was watery
mine was watery too and the chicken wasn’t done but after adding the cheese dicing the chicken a bit and cooking for 15 minutes more it was perfect! The “watery” sauce turns out perfect after you add the cheese and it cools down some.
That’s exactly right! As the pasta continues to cool, it absorbs additional liquid and the sauce thickens even more. Glad it worked for you, and thanks so much for your note.
saw this Monday on pinterest ordered ingredients and made it for dinner Monday night! I did add some extra seasoning per my taste. Cooked 15 minutes more after I added the cheese and bread crumbs to allow the chicken to fully cooked. Family LOVED it. Shared the recipe with all of my coworkers and friends. Thanks for such a quick and delicious recipe! Look forward to cooking more of your recipes!
Yay! I’m so glad that your family loved it!