The Best Dump and Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole I'Ve Ever Made
This is the dump and bake chicken parmesan casserole stripped down to its most essential form. Pasta, cooked chicken, marinara, cheese, and an olive oil breadcrumb topping — everything into one dish, covered, and baked.
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Servings: 6
Notes
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Add the uncooked penne, diced cooked chicken, marinara sauce, water, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper directly to a baking dish. Stir everything together until evenly combined.
- Cover tightly with foil — make sure there are no gaps so the steam stays trapped and the pasta cooks through properly. Bake covered for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and give the whole mixture a good stir. This redistributes the liquid and gives you even pasta texture throughout. The pasta should still be slightly firm at this point — that's right.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- In a small bowl, mix the seasoned breadcrumbs with the olive oil until every crumb is lightly coated. Scatter over the cheese layer.
- Return to the oven uncovered and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are lightly golden brown.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving. This lets the casserole set so it scoops cleanly.
- Use a deeper baking dish: A deeper dish prevents any sauce from bubbling over during the longer covered bake. A standard 9x13 at least 2 inches deep works well — don't use a shallow dish for this recipe.
- The midpoint stir matters: This is the step that separates this dump and bake pasta casserole from the rest. Pulling the dish out at 35 minutes and stirring redistributes unabsorbed liquid and prevents uneven cooking. Don't skip it.
- Seasoned breadcrumbs: The recipe uses seasoned breadcrumbs which already contain herbs, garlic, and salt. If using plain breadcrumbs, add ½ tsp Italian seasoning and a pinch of garlic powder to the olive oil mixture before coating.
- Cooked chicken works best: This recipe is designed around pre-cooked chicken. Rotisserie, leftover baked, or quickly poached breast all work. The lower oven temperature means raw chicken would need significantly more time — reduce covered bake by 5–10 minutes if using raw and confirm 165°F before adding topping.
- Storage: Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze after baking and cooling for up to 1 month. Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F.