Easy, Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti is the absolute best shortcut recipe for a delicious Italian dinner everyone will adore!
Scrumptious Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti takes two traditional dishes and turns them into one saucy, cheesy, comfort-food casserole! This tempting timesaver meal features pasta, frozen breaded chicken strips (yep!), store-bought pasta sauce, mozzarella and parmesan. Ridiculously easy and seriously mouthwatering!
Chicken Parm + Baked Ziti = The PERFECT Combo!
Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti is the ULTIMATE weeknight dinner recipe! We’re taking two Italian menu classics and combining them into one simple, satisfying casserole!
Classic Chicken Parmesan consists of breaded chicken breasts covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella and served over a bed of spaghetti. Traditional Baked Ziti features tubular pasta in a meaty tomato sauce with a blend mix of provolone and parmesan. Merging the two dishes into one delicious dinner makes perfect sense!
Other Recipes to Serve with Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Low Carb Cauliflower Breadsticks are every bit as delicious as “real bread” and much better for you!
- Lemon Butter Broccolini is the perfect simple, healthy side dish for any Italian dinner!
Ingredients
Chicken: Frozen, breaded, precooked chicken strips – preferably ones with parmesan-herb or “Italian style” breading – make this recipe so easy!
Sauce: The pasta will absorb some of the sauce while baking, so you’ll need a large jar of your favorite pasta sauce plus an extra can of tomato sauce.
Pasta: We’re using ziti, of course, but penne, rigatoni, or other tubular or spiral-shaped pasta would be equally great!
Cheese: Mozzarella and Parmesan are the perfect cheese combination for this pasta casserole! We always recommend shredding your own, but preshredded cheese does keep this super simple!
Garnish: A sprinkle of fresh basil adds a burst of color and a touch of Italian flavor to the finished dish!
How to Make Chicken Parm Baked Ziti
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside for now. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package directions state. Drain the water and return the pasta to the pot. Add the pasta sauce and tomato sauce and stir to combine.
STEP TWO: While the pasta is cooking, defrost the chicken strips for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. They should be soft, but don’t need to be hot. On a cutting board, slice them into bite-sized chunks.
STEP THREE: Scoop half the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Layer half the chicken and half the mozzarella over the ziti. Repeat the layers in the same order, and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the top of the casserole.
STEP FOUR: Bake for 20-25 minutes. The cheese should be bubbly and lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Only cook the pasta to al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven), so reduce the cooking time on the package by 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish this casserole with some Parmesan panko bread crumbs for a crispy topping!
- We use Ziti, but almost any bite-sized pasta like fusilli or rotini works great!
- We’re using precooked breaded chicken, preshredded cheese, and store-bought sauce to make this as quick and easy as possible, but you are free to start from scratch!
- Use gluten-free chicken strips and pasta for a GF version – it’s just as tasty!
- This makes a great “covered dish” for potlucks or neighbors who need a meal.
What Should I Serve with Chicken Parmesan Casserole?
A good starting point for side dishes is to think about anything you might find in an Italian restaurant! Homemade bread, dinner rolls, or breadsticks. A Caesar salad or wedge salad. Individual steamed veggies like broccoli, asparagus, or artichokes, or a vegetable medley that includes zucchini and mushrooms. Because this casserole is rich and hearty, your side dishes should be light and simple to provide a nice balance.
Can You Make Chicken Parmesan Casserole in Advance?
Because the chicken is precooked, you can prep this baked casserole up to 2 days in advance. Make the pasta, assemble the casserole in a baking pan, then seal it with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. You may need to add a couple of minutes to the bake time since everything starts cold.
Other Delectable Baked Pasta Recipes
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Cheesy Baked Rigatoni
- Taco Mac & Cheese Pasta Bake
- Baked Ziti
- Spaghetti Casserole
*This post originally posted on 09/14/2015.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti pasta
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 6 medium frozen breaded chicken strips
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- Fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook according to the package directions, minus 2 minutes of cooking time for al dente. Drain the water and return the pasta to the pot. Pour in the marinara and tomato sauce. Stir to combine
- Using the microwave, defrost the breaded chicken strips for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice into bite-sized pieces.
- Pour half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the chicken, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Then, repeat the layers and top everything off with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese becomes golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Top with fresh chopped basil, if desired, before serving warm.
bristol plasterer says
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon