This Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole is a one-dish dinner that's healthy, 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 Chicken Parmesan Casserole recipe is the dinnertime trifecta: easy, healthy, and kid-friendly!!!
The lightened-up dish is a 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 use pre-cooked chicken. Instead, all of the ingredients mingle, share seasonings, and cook together in one big pan.
How to Make Chicken Parmesan Casserole:
I keep this Chicken Parmesan Casserole healthy because, unlike a traditional Chicken Parmesan recipe, this dish is baked and not fried. It also includes just enough cheese to taste good, without going overboard on the fat and calories. Let's get right to it...
First, stir together the sauce. You can do this right in your baking dish, or you can mix the ingredients in a separate bowl. You'll need 1 box of penne pasta (wholegrain is fine if you can find it), 3 cups of marinara sauce, 3 cups of water, and salt.
Next, stir in the uncooked chicken breast. I buy the pre-diced chicken for a shortcut, but you can purchase regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts and just dice them on your own at home. Whatever you prefer!
The raw chicken is combined with the uncooked pasta mixture...
and then transferred to a large baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake in a 425-degree F oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven, take off the foil cover, and give the pasta a stir. At this point the pasta will still be firm and there will still be quite a bit of liquid in the dish. That's fine!
It's time to add the toppings...
Sprinkle the top of the casserole with grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese,
Add a layer of Panko breadcrumbs (whole wheat Panko is great if you can find it), and then finish with Parmesan cheese.
The dish goes back in the oven for about 10 more minutes (uncovered), or until the pasta is tender, the sauce has thickened, the chicken is cooked through, and the topping is crispy and golden brown. Perfection!
COOK'S TIPS -- SKINNY CHICKEN PARMESAN CASSEROLE:
- Dice the chicken into small, bite-size pieces before adding it to the dish. It will cook faster this way, and it will be easier to eat without cutting.
- Definitely use Panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs. It gives the topping a delicious, crispy texture that's similar to the fried coating on traditional Chicken Parmesan!
- Use wholegrain penne and whole wheat Panko, if possible, for some added fiber and nutritional value. If you're like me and you can't find these wholegrain products in your local grocery store, that's fine too!
- Stir in some veggies! If your kids like peas, zucchini, or frozen broccoli, stir that into the dish as well! If you’re using a larger vegetable with a longer cooking time (like broccoli), you may want to steam the vegetables first before adding to the dish. For something small like frozen peas, you can just add them (still frozen) straight to the baking dish towards the end of the cooking time.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or fresh basil for a bright burst of flavor!
What to serve with Chicken Parmesan Casserole:
Since this one dish meal includes veggies (in the tomato sauce), lean protein, fat and carbs, I think that it's perfect on its own! That said, if you'd like to get a few more veggies or sides onto the table, try these:
- A simple green salad with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 3-Ingredient Breadsticks
- Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
- 2-Ingredient Italian Sugar Snap Peas
You might also like these dump-and-bake casseroles:
- 5-Ingredient Dump-and-Bake Beefaroni
- Dump-and-Bake Italian Sausage with Rice
- Dump-and-Bake Wagon Wheel Pasta Casserole
- Dump-and-Bake Pasta Puttanesca
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Spaghetti
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta (can use whole grain pasta, if preferred)
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ lbs. raw chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Optional: fresh chopped herbs such as basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In the prepared baking dish (or in a separate large bowl), stir together uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, salt and raw chicken. 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 and give the pasta a good stir. At this point the pasta will still be firm and there will still be quite a bit of liquid in the dish. That's fine!
- Spread mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 10-15 more minutes (or until cheese is melted, top is golden brown, pasta is tender, and chicken is cooked through).
- Allow the pasta to rest for 5-10 minutes before garnishing with herbs and serving.
Notes
- Dice the chicken into small, bite-size pieces before adding it to the dish. It will cook faster this way, and it will be easier to eat without cutting.
- Definitely use Panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs. It gives the topping a delicious, crispy texture that's similar to the fried coating on traditional Chicken Parmesan!
- Use wholegrain penne and whole wheat Panko, if possible, for some added fiber and nutritional value. If you're like me and you can't find these wholegrain products in your local grocery store, that's fine too!
- Stir in some veggies! If your kids like peas, zucchini, or frozen broccoli, stir that into the dish as well! If you’re using a larger vegetable with a longer cooking time (like broccoli), you may want to steam the vegetables first before adding to the dish. For something small like frozen peas, you can just add them (still frozen) straight to the baking dish towards the end of the cooking time.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or fresh basil for a bright burst of flavor!
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November, 2015. It was updated in January, 2019.
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!!
I love this idea and the pasta did cook in the pan. But 1 1/2 pound of chicken in a whole pound of pasta was just not enough. I increased to 2 lbs and still could hardly find a of chicken in all that pasta. I sautéed another pound and a half of chicken and added it to the leftovers. It was enough but unfortunately at that point it was a chicken pasta casserole, not chicken parm If I do it again I’ll half the pasta and double the chicken.
Ooooh! Pasta that is skinny? You are speaking my language, Blair! Love this!
Exactly, Jen...the best of all worlds!! 🙂
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 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 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!!
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. 🙂
“Iffy about the flavor” comment:If you don’t like Italian food,obviously you and your family have a strange palette,why would you offer your uneducated opinion about Italian food.The sauce as described is perfect.
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!
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. 🙂
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!
Hi Blair!
I think this will be the next one of your recipes I will try. Just wondering if you can substitute the water with chicken broth. Would this make the dish more flavorful or better in any way? I've seen in a few of your other red sauce based dishes that you use stock instead of water so I was just curious what the difference is. I will definitely let you know if I end up making this and how it turns out!
Hi, Alyssa! Yes, you can definitely use the chicken broth if you'd like to add a little bit more flavor to the dish. Totally up to you -- it will be delicious either way! 🙂
Does is matter what shape pasta you use? Will it still bake correctly?
Hi, Bailey! The shape doesn't matter as much as the cooking time. The penne pasta that I used has a cooking time of about 11 minutes (called for on the box). If you use a different shape pasta, just make sure that the instructions on the box call for 11-12 minutes, too. Otherwise, you'll just need to adjust the amount of time that your casserole is in the oven. 🙂
Thank you, Blair! Made this for dinner last night. Just as quick and easy as the title states. Added zucchini and crushed red pepper. The hubby loved it, which made me very happy as he is picky. Also, there was enough for two lunches for each of us left over. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes!
Thanks, Jane! 🙂
I made this last night I made two changes I used spaghetti sauce instead of what you used and added a can of Italian tomatoes. It was very very very tasty I will be making it again. Were having leftovers tonight.
Thanks so much.
Thanks, Jill!!!
Hubby loved it! I used previously frozen homemade sauce that I forgot had italian sausage in it, so that was a pleasant addition! I halved the recipe since it's just the two of us. I used rotini, which has the similar cooking time Blair has mentioned. The next time I make it, I will add a little more sauce, or serve some on the side, as I like my pasta a little saucier. This one is definitley a keeper!
Wonderful! Thank you -- I'm so glad to hear that it was a hit! 🙂 I bet that added Italian sausage was delicious!
I made this tonight and the family really liked it. I had slightly frozen chicken, so I cut the pieces very small. The pasta was cooked perfectly. From prep to the table in less than an hour. Great recipe!
Thank you, Sandy!
I made this last night and it is just as easy as the recipe seems. The only complaints I had was that in my opinion, the noodles were slightly gummy, so next time i make it (and there will certainly be a next time), I may pre cook the noodles JUST A SMIDGE. Also, since there's no other seasonings, which i think you could also add if you wanted to, make sure you don't skimp on the marinara sauce. Get the REALLY GOOD marinara sauce!
Made it tonight Excellent recipe,, followed it almost exactly.. I used ziti, 1 can herb/garlic pasta sauce (2cup) and 1can tomato sauce to fill out the 3cups sauce,, mozzarella cheese on top of that and 3/4 cup of panko & parm cheese each.. 40 min enitial cook time and 12 min final cook time.. liquid was not that much and finally just enough to keep the dish moist not dry.. My family DOESN'T like cassaroles so I didn't mention it and they loved it. Sneaky but I know better ????
That's awesome, Richard! I'm so glad that it was a hit! 🙂
This was a hit! I didnt have any fresh basil so I added some dried to the sauce and water mixture. I also added a bit of marjoram and garlic powder. I used tricolor rotini because that's what I had on hand. I upped the chicken to 2 lbs. since I was feeding a big family. Everyone loved it. Even my picky eaters 🙂
Perfect! Thanks so much, Alicia!
Somethng went wrong with this dish. I followed the directions but the pasta came out very starchy and pasty. Mayit have been that I used pasta sauce instead of marinara sauce? Everything else was as called for. I did add some garlic poweder, salt and pepper to the chicken before puttng in the pan and added more garlic powder and dried basil on top of mozz, parm and panko. It tasted good but like I said the pasta was not right.
Sounds like maybe the pasta was cooked too long so it had that gummy texture? It might just be a matter of pulling it out of the oven sooner. Sorry about that, Laurie!
This was really bland, I'm sorry. I don't want to knock it, but it needs a lot more seasoning beyond what's in the sauce and from the chicken. Be warned. This recipe seems to simple to be flavorful because it is.
Fantastic! I made the complete recipe for my mom and niece; then I eliminated the pastas and added 2 cups of broccoli and spinach for me as I’m cutting my carbs. Do you have a Chicken & Rice casserole?
Thanks, Karen! I'm so glad that you were able to make the meal work for your whole family! I do have quite a few chicken and rice casserole recipes. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole-2/
- https://www.theseasonedmom.com/dump-and-bake-italian-chicken-and-rice/
- https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-wild-rice-casserole/
- https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/
- https://www.theseasonedmom.com/dump-bake-chicken-rice-casserole/
- https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-and-rice-bake/
Excellent! As a mom with very little time who love’s to cook. (and Italian) each bite of this tastes like chicken Parmesan w/Rao’s sauce of course and very little effort! Thank you so much for this
That makes me so happy to hear, Michelle! Thank you! 🙂
LOVE this recipe. We make it every 2 weeks !Has anyone substituted Eggplant for Chicken? I am looking for a skinny and delicious Eggplant Parm recipe!!
Thanks, Karen! I haven't used this recipe with eggplant, but my favorite baked eggplant parm recipe is here if you want to try that: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/baked-eggplant-parmesan/
Enjoy!
I made this last night and it was very tasty. In place of the bread crumbs I used garlic croutons that I crushed. (tip from Chef John at Food Wishes). I happened to see the Lucini Marinara at the store and used that as it was shown in your recipe. It was a little pricey but on a whole the dinner itself was budget friendly and would feed I think 6-7 people easy. This will be printed and put in our recipe box labeled "Budget friendly and yummy".
Oh, I bet those croutons were perfect! Thanks, Cris!