Chicken parmesan casserole has the flavors of chicken parm without the breading and frying: shredded cooked chicken and rotini tossed in marinara, topped with more sauce, melted mozzarella and a buttery panko and Parmesan crumb, then baked until golden and bubbly. It’s on the table in about 50 minutes and serves 4.
How to make chicken parmesan casserole: mix melted butter, panko, parsley, garlic powder and Parmesan for the topping, cook 8 ounces of rotini al dente, toss it with 2 cups of marinara, Italian seasoning, 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken, drained diced tomatoes and parsley, spread it in a 9×9 dish, top with the rest of the sauce, mozzarella and the crumbs, and bake at 375°F for 23 to 25 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- No breading or frying: the panko topping brings the crunch.
- Uses cooked chicken, including rotisserie chicken.
- About 50 minutes from start to finish.
- Make-ahead friendly: assemble it the day before.
Cooked Chicken or Raw Chicken?
This recipe stirs cooked, shredded chicken into cooked pasta, so the oven only has to heat everything through and brown the top. Rotisserie chicken is the time-saver: just shred it.
There’s also a raw dump-and-bake version: 1 1/2 pounds of raw diced chicken with uncooked penne, marinara and 3 cups of water in a 9×13 dish, covered tightly with foil and baked at 425°F for 30 minutes, then stirred, topped with mozzarella, panko and Parmesan, and baked 10 to 15 minutes uncovered. Chicken cooked in that liquid ends up closer to poached chicken, so for more control, start with cooked chicken (3 to 4 cups shredded rotisserie or diced cooked chicken for that larger pan, stirred in just before the cheese).
How to Get a Crisp Panko Topping
- Use panko. It gives the crisp, golden finish of fried chicken parmesan; regular bread crumbs don’t get as crunchy. Crushed croutons are another option.
- Mix it with butter and Parmesan. Melted butter, panko, parsley, garlic powder and Parmesan go on last, over the mozzarella.
- Cook the pasta only al dente. It finishes cooking in the oven.
- Bake until golden. 23 to 25 minutes at 375°F, until bubbly, browned on top and 165°F in the center.
- Making it ahead? Leave the topping off until you bake.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken. Two cups of shredded or chopped cooked chicken.
Pasta. Eight ounces of rotini or penne. Ziti, rigatoni or elbows work too.
Sauce. A 24-ounce jar of marinara or pasta sauce: 2 cups go into the pasta and the rest goes on top. A drained 14 1/2-ounce can of diced tomatoes is optional.
Cheese. One cup of shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan for the crumb.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini (or penne)
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (or pasta sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
- 14 1/2 ounces canned diced tomatoes, well drained (optional)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, for the pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for the topping
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, for the topping
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, for the topping
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, for the topping
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, for the topping
How to Make Chicken Parmesan Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Mix the topping. Stir the melted butter, panko, 1 tablespoon parsley, garlic powder and Parmesan together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
3. Cook the pasta. Cook the rotini al dente according to the package directions.
4. Toss the filling. Toss the pasta with 2 cups of the marinara, the Italian seasoning, chicken, drained diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon parsley.
5. Assemble. Spread the mixture in a 9×9 dish or 2-quart casserole dish. Top with the remaining marinara, then the mozzarella and the panko topping.
6. Bake. Bake 23 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly, the topping is browned and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
Variations
- Creamy: stir about three-fourths of a cup of cottage cheese, or some ricotta, into the pasta.
- Vegetables: add peas, zucchini, mushrooms or spinach; steam sturdier ones like broccoli first.
- Heat: a pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce.
- Bigger batch: double it in a 9×13 dish with 1 pound of pasta.
- Thighs: diced boneless thighs or tenderloins work in the raw dump-and-bake version.
Make Ahead, Storage & Reheating
To make it ahead, assemble the casserole without the panko topping, cover it tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add the topping just before baking, and allow a little extra time if it goes in cold, checking for 165°F in the center.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days; the pasta dries out as it sits. USDA FSIS says frozen leftovers keep 3 to 4 months, but baked pasta casseroles can turn gummy once thawed, so this one is best from the fridge. Reheat single portions in the microwave, or a larger amount covered in a low oven, with a splash of marinara or water stirred in, until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
For more baked chicken dinners, try chicken marsala casserole, chicken cordon bleu casserole or Ritz cracker chicken casserole. For more Parmesan chicken, there’s Parmesan crusted chicken and Italian Parmesan chicken skewers, and for another baked pasta, slow cooker baked ziti.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use cooked or raw chicken in chicken parmesan casserole?
This recipe uses cooked chicken. A raw dump-and-bake version works too, but the chicken cooks in liquid and ends up closer to poached.
Can I make chicken parmesan casserole ahead?
Yes. Assemble it without the panko topping, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then add the topping and bake until the center reaches 165°F.
How do I get a crisp topping?
Use panko mixed with melted butter and Parmesan, add it last, and bake uncovered until golden.
What makes it taste like chicken parmesan?
Marinara, melted mozzarella, Parmesan and a crisp panko topping over the chicken.
Final Notes
Cooked chicken, al dente pasta and a buttery panko top. Tell me in the comments what you stirred into yours.
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini or penne
- 24 ounces marinara sauce pasta sauce also works; 2 cups mixed into the pasta, the rest spooned over the top
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- 14 1/2 ounces canned diced tomatoes 1 can, well drained; optional
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped; stirred into the pasta mixture
- 2 tablespoons butter melted; for the topping
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs for the topping
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped; for the topping
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder for the topping
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese for the topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Stir the melted butter, panko, 1 tablespoon parsley, garlic powder and Parmesan together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Cook the rotini al dente according to the package directions.
- Toss the pasta with 2 cups of the marinara, the Italian seasoning, chicken, drained diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon parsley.
- Spread the mixture in a 9x9 dish or 2-quart casserole dish. Top with the remaining marinara, then the mozzarella and the panko topping.
- Bake 23 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly, the topping is browned and the center reaches 165F on a food thermometer.
