We’ve been eating a mostly paleo diet over here in the Rabbit household for the past year, but lately I’ve found myself craving this particular dish. So much so, that I’m going to have to make it soon. It has the best of everything: crunch, gooey cheese, a touch of spice, succulent chicken, tasty sauce, and, well, I think you get the picture.

Besides the fact that it’s unbelievably easy to make, I love that there’s virtually nothing to clean up, so it can be put together in no time. That’s music to this mom’s ears.

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Speaking of moms, this is one of my my go-to meals that I take over to friends who just had new babies. I bake it as directed (in a foil container) and just leave the croutons and last layer of cheese off (I give them a bag of crotons and some cheese to put on when they’re ready to eat it). Then I usually pick up frozen garlic bread and some type of dessert to give along with the chicken parm—not everything can be homemade!

It also works really well as a freezer meal, so when I make this I typically make two (one to eat and one to freeze). I freeze it unbaked (and again without the layer of croutons and last sprinkle of cheese) and I pop it in the fridge the night before (if I remember) or the morning of the day I want to eat it, then I just bake as directed.

Feel free to guesstimate and just wing-it with the measurements (enough oil to cover the bottom, half a jar of sauce, plenty of cheese to please, etc.), and add in some veggies if you like (I sometimes precook the veggies first so they release their liquid before it cooks together; that way there isn’t a soupy mess).

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken breast, chopped in bite-sized pieces (can use whole tenderloins if you want to make it even easier)
  • ½—1 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 or 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups favorite pasta sauce (about half a jar)
  • 5-10 basil leaves, julienned (or ½ teaspoon dried basil)
  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella (divided)
  • 4 ounces Parmesan (divided)
  • 5-ounce bag of croutons

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). In a casserole dish (square, small size, or even individual dishes), mix olive oil, crushed garlic and red pepper flakes; spread mixture around to bottom of the dish. Place chicken on top of oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. Pour marinara sauce over chicken; spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle chopped basil over sauce. Cover sauce with ¾ of the cheese (mozzarella and Parmesan).
  3. Next, cover every nook and cranny with croutons. Steal one crouton, eat it, and enjoy. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the croutons.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and starts to bubble and meat reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees. (If meat isn’t fully cooked yet—usually if you’re cooking them frozen or whole, cover with foil and continue cooking until meat is cooked.)

Enjoy!