Let's turn the classic flavors of a chicken parmesan into a tasty, macro-friendly pasta dish with Barilla protein pasta, tomato sauce, chopped spinach, and a crispy panko breadcrumb crust! This chicken parmesan casserole with chicken will blow your mind and your tastebuds, guaranteed.
There's nothing like a crispy chicken cutlet, slathered in tomato-y pasta sauce, and topped with Italian-seasoned panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese! The only thing that can make it better? Mixing those flavors and textures into a delicious pasta bake!
Ingredients
- Seasoned Chicken Breasts - We're keeping lean with chicken breasts as the protein of choice in this recipe. Chop them up and undercook them just a tad before adding everything to the pasta; they will fully cook but still be juicy in the oven.
- Rotini Protein Pasta - You guys have seen in other recipes on Coined Cuisine... I LOVE using Barilla's protein pastas! They seriously don't taste any different from the regular stuff. I used rotini for this recipe, but penne would work fine in a pinch.
- Pasta Sauce - Either homemade or store-bought; grab your favorite pasta sauce for this recipe. I love using tomato-basil flavored.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - Grab some plain panko breadcrumbs (we'll season them during cooking) as the crispy crust for the casserole.
- Grated Parmesan - You can't have chicken Parmesan without some tasty grated parmesan! This is also more macro-friendly than a fattier cheese like mozzarella or burrata.
How to Make Chicken Parmesan Casserole
This recipe is super easy to make, with just a few minutes of preparation - I promise!
- Start out by seasoning and cooking your chicken breasts; you want to slightly undercook the chicken so it doesn't get dry in the oven.
- Underboil your pasta (which will also fully cook later.) I love using Barilla's protein pasta brands for better macronutrients than just normal pasta... plus, it doesn't taste any different!
- In a glass baking dish, mix together the pasta, chopped chicken, tomato sauce, and some chopped spinach for fiber.
- Top with panko breadcrumbs, a bit of Italian seasoning, and grated parmesan. I also like to spray the top with a little cooking spray for moisture.
- Bake for about 10 minutes covered, then remove the cover and broil until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown. That's it!
FAQs
Sure! I love using chicken breasts as they are lean and still juicy, but feel free to use chicken thighs or the meat from chicken legs. You can also use rotisserie chicken if you want.
I've seen dairy-free grated parmesan at the grocery store - you can try that, or you can use nutritional yeast! (It'll be yellow, but still tastes nice and cheesy.)
I do! Check out my cookbook Plate Night In - there's a chicken parm recipe for two that goes great over creamy mashed potatoes (another recipe in the book).
Other Pasta Dishes You'll Love!
Jerk Chicken Alfredo
Vegetarian Stuffed Shells
Chicken Tetrazzini
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Grab a tasty twist on dinner with this Chicken Parmesan Casserole! Filled with juicy air fryer chicken, protein pasta, and topped with an Italian breadcrumb crust - it's absolutely fantastic for the entire family.