Chicken Parmesan Penne Bake;
Delicious and easy make ahead meal that the whole family will love. With only 30 minutes in the oven, you have time to set the table and make my OMG World’s Best Caesar Salad dressing to take this meal to the next level.
With easy to find ingredients, dried pasta, chicken, Italian Seasonings, and cheese you can quickly assemble this dish and have it on hand for a busy weeknight dinner. Specifically designed to be an easy part of your weekly Meal Prep; we’ve even used uncooked noodles cutting down on prep time.
Served with warmed french bread with roasted garlic butter and a Caesar Salad, this is a kid pleasing dish that everyone is going to enjoy. Likely you won’t have leftovers, however if you do, they make an excellent lunch the next day.
I prefer to use a short cut pasta like penne rigate (the one with the ridges) or fusilli as the sauce and cheese gets into those nooks and crannies instead of falling to the bottom of the bowl.
Use any jarred sauce you prefer, but definitely use one that has seasoning in it for the best results. I like Classico brand with roasted garlic and onion, or 4 cheese in pasta bakes and casseroles.
Watch this recipe, and many others, prepped live over on our Love on a Plate Facebook Community.
Chicken Parmesan Penne Bake
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce package Penne or Fusilli pasta (not cooked)
- 4 cups pasta sauce
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound of chicken cut into small pieces
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese cubed
- TOPPING
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese mix Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spray baking dish with non stick spray. Pour in uncooked noodles, water and chicken stock and 2 cups of tomato sauce. The noodles should be covered.
- Evenly place pieces of cubed chicken over top of noodles. Take cubes of mozzarella cheese and place randomly tucking in between the chicken pieces.
- Sprinkle basil, oregano, and garlic powder over top of chicken. Pour remaining 2 cups tomato sauce over top.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and noodles are soft. Remove foil, top with Topping mixture and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Use the broiler for the last 5 minutes if you want to brown the top. It's not necessary but it does make the panko flakes nice and crispy!
