Chicken Parmesan Casserole with Pasta - Pantry Meals

 

Pantry Meals 

This is the first post in a series of posts on "Pantry Meals" that I will be sharing here on the blog. This recipe is an easy no-fuss pantry meal made from the items I had on hand. I made my own simple marinara sauce plus extra for the freezer. I used canned chicken instead of freshly cooked chicken that I had sitting in my pantry that needed to be used up. I also swapped out the Panko breadcrumbs for saltine cracker crumbs. 

I obviously changed up this recipe to fit my needs. This is why this recipe is a great pantry meal recipe. It can be changed up to suit anyone's needs. The original recipe came from Southern Country Living from YouTube. They are the cutest couple. Check them out and give their channel a try. I have made a couple of their recipes now and plan on highlighting a few more of them here on my blog.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole with Pasta 

Ingredients

 • 1/2 lb cooked chicken cut into small pieces (I used one 12.5 oz can canned chicken breast, drained)

 • 1/2 lb Rotini pasta or preferred pasta of your choice  

 • 1 (24oz) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce (I made my own sauce)

 • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

 • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

 • 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs or regular breadcrumbs (I used saltine crackers)

 • 2 tbsp melted butter

 • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

 • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

 

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a medium size baking dish (I used a deep-dish pie pan)

• In a large pan or pot, cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions

• Place the drained pasta back into the pot and mix with the marinara sauce, chicken, half of the mozzarella, half of the parmesan, and 1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning

• Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes over medium-low heat and then spread it evenly onto the bottom of your baking dish; sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top

• In a small bowl, mix together the cracker or breadcrumbs, melted butter and garlic powder; sprinkle it evenly over the top of the casserole.

• Bake uncovered on the center rack for about 15 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown

• Serve alone or with salad, veggies and/or breadsticks. 

Enjoy!

Mrs. Smith