Chicken Parmesan Casserole
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Chicken Parmesan Casserole is by far one of the most popular (and simple) recipes on Thriving Home. Shredded chicken, flavorful marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and a crunchy breadcrumb topping make up this quick and comforting casserole. Enjoy “as is” or serve over pasta.
5 Reasons to Make This Recipe Tonight
If you’re short on time, new to cooking, feeding picky eaters, or just tired at the end of the day, we created this recipe for you. Here’s why it’s our most popular casserole…
- Only 6 main ingredients: So simple! You probably have most ingredients on hand. Plus it’s a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Fast: This only takes 35 minutes to make from start to finish.
- Kid-friendly: People of all ages like this casserole. Just check out the comments.
- Freezer-friendly: We give you freezer meal instructions so that it will come out tasting like a fresh meal, just like we do in all our freezer meals. So double your batch and freeze one for later.
- Healthy: Serve alongside some whole grain pasta or brown rice and a salad or veggie, and you’ve got a well-rounded, nutritious meal.
P.S. If you like this easy casserole, you’ll love our 4-layer Chicken and Stuffing Casserole.
Key Ingredients
Like I mentioned, a perk of this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients–only 6 main ones! I bet you have most of these on hand:
- Cooked Chicken – Use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut or I included directions for how to cook your chicken ahead of time in the Cooking Notes. You could also use chicken from our Roasted Chicken and Vegetables recipe or from Instant Pot Whole Chicken.
- Marinara sauce – You can make your own marinara sauce or use store bought. Choose the brand with the most recognizable ingredients. We recommend Newman’s Own or Rao’s brands.
- Shredded Mozzarella cheese – Like our Baked Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, this cheese adds Italian comfort factor.
- Shredded Parmesan cheese – Another mandatory staple of Chicken Parmesan. Grated Parmesan will work, too.
- Panko or whole wheat bread crumbs – Panko breadcrumbs will give it a great texture on top. You can also use regular homemade breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs too.
- Fresh herbs – Fresh parsley or basil adds some additional flavor and color. You can substitute dried herbs from your pantry.
Note: Find our full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and directions at the bottom of this post.
Reader Tip: Add Pasta
Several of our readers have said they add cooked pasta, such as rotini or penne pasta, as the bottom layer of the casserole with success.
We would suggest cooking pasta just until it’s al dente, so it doesn’t get too soft after baking. Also, make sure it gets coated in the marinara sauce so it doesn’t dry out.
Make It a Freezer Meal
As with many of our freezer-friendly recipes, this one freezes wonderfully. A valuable use of your time in the kitchen is to double this recipe and a freeze an 8×8 dish for another dinner.
To Freeze: Simply assemble the casserole (with cooked chicken), do NOT bake, and then freeze it in an airtight freezer container.
To Prepare From Frozen: When you want to make it, thaw and bake it according to the recipe instructions
How to Serve Chicken Parmesan Casserole
I almost always serve this casserole over cooked pasta. You could use penne, linguine, rotini, or really any type of noodle you have on hand. Chicken Parmesan Casserole can also be served over cooked brown rice. Lastly, it’s delicious if simply served by itself!
For a well-rounded meal, serve it with one of these delicious side dishes:
- Garlic Green Beans
- Side salad topped with Honey Dijon Dressing
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Autumn Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Cheesy Pesto Bread or Texas Toast
FAQs
While mozzarella and Parmesan are the classic cheeses used in Chicken Parmesan, feel free to use other types. Try shredded Italian blend, asiago, or provolone in place of the mozzarella and grated Romano or even crumbled feta cheese in place of the Parmesan.
I have tested the casserole with raw chicken and it will get cooked through in about 20-30 minutes (be that a meat thermometer registers 165°F when inserted in the chicken). However, I’ve found that raw chicken releases a lot of liquid and can leave an unappetizing film behind in the dish. So, I recommend using fully cooked chicken instead.
Yes, several of our readers have said they add cooked pasta, such as rotini or penne pasta, as the bottom layer of the casserole with success.
We would suggest cooking pasta just until it’s al dente, so it doesn’t get too soft after baking. Also, make sure it gets coated in the marinara sauce so it doesn’t dry out.
Yes, you can freeze Chicken Parmesan Casserole. After prepping the casserole but before baking, wrap the dish in several layers of plastic wrap or foil, pressing out as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes, this casserole can be made gluten free by simply using gluten free breadcrumbs.
More Chicken Casseroles to Try
If you like this casserole, you’re sure to love some of these other favorite chicken casseroles:
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Chicken Fajita Casserole
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole (or Turkey Stuffing Casserole)
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Be sure to check out our Top 15+ Chicken Freezer Meals, too. Every recipe can be made fresh or from frozen.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
This family favorite is super easy to make, made with real food ingredients, and also freezer friendly.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) fully-cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (see Cooking Notes)
- 3 cups marinara sauce (or one 24-ounce jar)
- 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup Panko or regular bread crumbs (sub: gluten free bread crumbs)
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2–4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Layer the fully-cooked chicken in the bottom. Dump in the marinara sauce and mix with the chicken. Next, top with both cheeses until all the chicken is covered.
- In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, olive oil, fresh parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the top. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides. If you want it a little more browned on top, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes (watch closely so it doesn’t burn!). Serve “as is” or over your favorite cooked pasta or rice.
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-4. Cover the casserole tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap and/or foil, squeezing out as much air as possible. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge over night and follow Step 5. Note: If it’s still slightly frozen in the middle, you’ll just have to cook it longer than the recipe calls for or defrost it a bit in the microwave before baking. Cover it with foil if the top gets too brown in the oven.
Notes/Tips
How to Cook the Chicken: For this recipe you can use rotisserie chicken from the store, which is a great short-cut! Or, cook some boneless, skinless chicken breasts using one of these methods until it’s done (165°F internally or no longer pink inside). Be sure to season well with salt and pepper first.
- Bake in Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
- Slow Cooker: Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Really! That’s all it takes to get it done, otherwise you’ll overcook and dry it out.
- Instant Pot: Place chicken and 1 cup chicken broth or water in a 6 quart Instant Pot. (Note: If using an 8 quart, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth.) Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and use a quick release of the pressure when the cook time is up. (Note: It will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cook time starts.)
- Grill: Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have thinner pieces (this helps with fast and even cooking). Preheat grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates well. Grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, maybe longer depending on the thickness.
Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free bread crumbs. I like to make my own with gluten-free breadcrumbs, because I can’t stand the gummy rice flour ones at the store.
Adding Pasta: Several of our readers have said they add cooked pasta as the bottom layer of the casserole with success. We would suggest cooking pasta just until it’s al dente, so it doesn’t get too soft after baking. Also, make sure it gets coated in the marinara sauce so it doesn’t dry out.
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.
Is there some way I could add pasta to this?
I think you could add pasta that is cooked al dente to the bottom. Combine with the sauce and chicken. Top with the cheese and breadcrumbs. Good idea!
What about veggies? Like broccoli.
Hmm, I don’t know. Haven’t tried it.
I am thinking you could add a layer of chopped or baby spinach if you want to add veggies. In fact, I think I will try it. ?
Yes, great idea!
Hey! So I just made this for dinner and my boyfriend and I LOVED it! It tastes just like chicken parmesan, but way cheesier. I have a question though. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the bread crumbs got kind of soggy, making the texture kind of weird. Is there anything I can do to prevent this? It might have something to do with the cook time since I used raw chicken so I cooked it for 40 minutes. But if you have any ideas, please let me know! Thanks!
Glad you liked it! The raw chicken has more moisture so perhaps that was the problem. The other variable might be what kind of marinara you used. If it was a thinner, watery one, that could have contributed to sogginess. I use Newman’s Own Marinara and it’s a nice density. Another thing you can do at the end is broil the casserole for about 2 minutes to brown up and crisp up the breadcrumbs on the top. Just watch closely so you don’t burn it. I hope that helps!
I made this today. I doubled the recipe, but still baked for 25 minutes. Was I suppose to bake longer because it was doubled? The reason I ask is because the bread crumbs were really dry. I am making the spaghetti now to serve the dish for dinner. What can I do so that the bread crumbs don’t make the dish so dry?
Hi Nancy. Did you combine the breadcrumbs with the olive oil? That’s part of what keeps them from drying out. And, I’m guessing you did this, but did you double the oil since you doubled the recipe? A quick fix for the breadcrumbs at this point would be to melt some butter and drizzle it over, if you think they need it. Can’t hurt! 😉
Oh I also didn’t answer your question about baking longer. If you doubled the recipe and baked this in a 9×13, then it should take about the same amount of time in the oven. Just look for the sides to be bubbly and the top to be golden brown.
Would it be okay, to use shake and bake?
I’ve never used it myself, so I’m sorry that I can’t help. If it’s just breadcrumbs (more or less), I bet it would work though.
I skimmed the posts on this recipe and didn’t see an answer to the following question, so I’m sorry if this was already asked and I just didn’t see it.
I made this in a 9X13 pan (I don’t own an 8X8 pan) and doubled everything and now have a HUGE amount of leftovers that cannot be eaten before it goes bad. Could I freeze the rest for a later date?
Hi Heidi. You for sure can freeze this for later! I do this all the time. Just thaw overnight in the fridge or defrost in the microwave when you’re ready to eat it. Then, a slow reheat in the oven or microwave will do the trick to warm it!
I know this is late, but I just found this recipe on pinterest and was reading the comments. Once something has been frozen, then defrosted…you should not refreeze. Its not safe.
Actually that’s just a myth. Here’s what foodsafety.gov says, “Thawed or partially thawed food in the freezer may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. Partial thawing and refreezing may affect the quality of some food, but the food will be safe to eat.”
Would it be possible to bake 1st and then reheat in micro when ready to eat
Definitely. We are big fans of leftovers. This casserole is very forgiving.
I am so confused! When you are ready to re-heat the meal, do you do it for the 20-25 minutes again after it’s thawed from the freezer? It won’t dry everything out?
You don’t bake it before freezing. You will thaw and then bake according to directions.
your recipe says 8×8 pan, but the photo looks like 9×13…I’d like to make this tonight and want to use the right pan.
Great question, and I just made a note in the post about this. The recipe calls for an 8×8 pan, which is correct. The pictures were taken by Polly later and she did double the recipe and make it in a 9×13. I hope that helps!
I wanted to let you know I saw your recipe on Pinterest, made it tonight, and we loved it!!! I used Parmesan herb panko and it tasted great! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Oooh, that’s the answer. I need to mix the Parm in with the breadcrumbs. Thanks for the idea! So glad you guys liked it.
Looks good. Looks easy. But…Chicken Parmesan Casserole without Parmesan? I’ll be adding it.
Stellar point! I’m throwing some in next time too and adapting the recipe. Thanks for the suggestion, Susan!
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe! It looks delicious! I want to try it tonight, but has anbody tried using one of those rotisserie chickens in this recipe? Would it become too dry?
Christine, I think rotisserie chicken is a great idea. This casserole only bakes a short while and the chicken is covered in sauce and cheese. Should be fine.
Can I cook it with uncooked chicken for the casserole?
I’ve actually used uncooked chicken in a similar casserole to this one many, many times. You just have to cook it for longer, usually 40-45 minutes, until the chicken is white all the way through. You may have to cover the top with foil if it starts getting too brown. I hope that helps!
Hi,
Sorry, I’m super new to this whole freezer meal thing, but I’m going back to work soon after mat leave, and well, I need quick and healthy meals that all of us (including our daughter) can eat. I love that these recipes are so unprocessed b/c so many that I’ve looked at online have prepackaged/made food (ie. Italian season mix, salad dressings, etc) and I dont want our daughter on so much sodium so early. Thank you for sharing this.
My question, (sorry if this is a really dumb one) is I freeze everything in the casserole dish (a glass one or something), I can just bake it in the oven for 350F and for 20-25 minutes and it will be hot enough? Do I have to defrost in fridge overnight? I also assume that the safe for baking glassware/corning wear won’t break from temperature change?
Thanks so much!
Hi Stefanie, if you are baking your dish from frozen, the cook time will definitely be increased. From my experience, it can sometimes be an hour more in the oven and you have to cover it with foil so it doesn’t get burned or dried up. Your best bet is to thaw the casserole for 24 hours in the fridge and even set it out for an hour before baking to bring the temp up before baking. Or, I often thaw my freezer foods in glass in the microwave on the defrost setting. That is the fastest way. Check out the USDA guidelines I list in my freezer meal post here to learn more: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/
Also, I have never had a corningware or pyrex glass dish break from the heat changes.
Pyrex can actually shatter if it changes temperature too quickly. When I was about 8, we had a pan of brownies made in a pryex pan sitting on the stove. It was at room temperature and the burner was turned on. The pan shattered, after the burner only being on for five minutes. And Pyrex is not made from the same materials as it was 20 years ago, even Pyrex themselves have said that the materials are different. A co-worker of mine had a casserole cooling on the counter when the dish exploded and sent glass flying everywhere. Anchor-Hocking is a much better brand than the new Pyrex.
Thanks for the heads up about this brand. I made the same mistake you did and left a glass casserole dish on a hot burner. It was so scary when it exploded! I didn’t know that Anchor-Hocking is a better brand…thank you!
I had an Anchor-Hocking casserole dish explode in my oven before. I only use Pyrex now, and have never had an issue.
I had a Pyrex explode years ago when I placed it on a hot burner by accident. It is very scary. I obviously didn’t follow directions, but it was still scary. I have never had one explode in my oven, especially at a normal temp like yours, though.
I did a little investigation after your comment. I found this video report (below) on Consumer Reports. It sounds like it’s EXTREMELY important that Pyrex and Anchor Hocking (which are made of the exact same material) are used only as directed. Extreme temperature changes should be avoided. So, I will not put a frozen pan directly into a hot oven, for instance. Consumer Reports also reported that the European-made glassware (a different material and ironically what Pyrex and AH used to be made of) was less likely to shatter due to temp changes. It might be worth watching this video, just to make sure we are all using our glassware the right way.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/january/home-garden/glass-cookware/glass-cookware/index.htm
Hi Shonda, I usually only freeze soups or meat in marinades in freezer bags. You’ll need to freeze this one in a casserole pan (wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil) or in a Gladware pan. Here is a link to what I use, but I do not bake the casserole in this since it’s plastic. http://www.glad.com/food-storage/containers/ovenware-8×8/
How would you freeze this in a bag? Not quite sure how this works as a freezer meal for me.
I froze this one in a bag! (I just froze the cheese and the crumbs separately!) We’ll be eating it tonight – I’ll just assemble right before baking! )
Cool! I hadn’t thought of doing that before. Thanks for sharing, Jac!
Great tip! I am going to try this one for our freezer meal swap!
Thanks for the recipe! I am making a bunch of freezer meals for this next semester of nursing school, since I have clinicals until 6 PM one day every week. I definitely want to try this one out, but I was thinking about putting noodles on the bottom of the pan – Cooking them al dente so when I put them in the oven they will finish cooking. Do you think that would work?
Hi Kayleigh,
So glad you’re trying freezer cooking. What a great way to make your busy work life easier and to keep eating healthy. I really like your idea of adding in al dente noodles, but I’m thinking you’ll want to toss them with a little extra marinara to keep them moist. A little extra cheese couldn’t hurt either. Let me know how it turns out!
I’m always looking for more freezer meal recipes. Thanks for this 🙂