Freezer Friendly Lazy Chicken Parmesan Casserole
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When it comes to delicious family-friendly meals, you can’t go wrong with chicken parm! But who has the time to batter and fry chicken cutlets after a busy day? With the help of this lazy chicken parmesan casserole, you can prepare a delicious dinner ahead of time that features all the flavors of your family’s favorite Italian chicken. And the best part is that there’s no frying required for this easy recipe!We have at times made a full Chicken Parmesan freezer meal, but when time is short, this is a great alternative. We like to serve this with a side salad and pasta. There are some other serving suggestions below.
Lazy Chicken Parmesan Casserole Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked, cubed chicken
- 28 ounce jar pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup Panko or bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- dash salt and pepper
- large resealable freezer bag or silicone reuseable bag
- 2 medium resealable freezer bags or silicone reuseable bags
Freezing instructions:
- Add the cooked cubed chicken to a large resealable bag, then pour in the pasta sauce. Remove the excess air from the inside of the bag and seal.
- In a separate medium size freezer bag, add the two types of cheese. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal it closed.
- Grab the final medium size freezer bag, and add the Panko or bread crumbs, olive oil, and seasonings. Shake the bag to combine all the ingredients together. After that, remove all the air that you can and seal the freezer bag.
- To store all the bags together in the freezer, staple the three bags together. Make sure the staple goes above the seals to prevent air from getting into the bags while they’re in the freezer.
Serving instructions:
- Allow the casserole ingredients to thaw completely in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour the ingredients in the large bag into a greased baking dish.
- Top the chicken with the cheeses, then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheeses are melted and the chicken is heated through.
How Long is Chicken Parmesan Casserole Good For?
After freezing your lazy chicken parmesan, it will stay good for up to three months in the freezer. To ensure you use your casserole before it goes bad, always label the bag with the name of the recipe, the date it was frozen, and the expiration date.
Once the casserole is prepared, it should be eaten within three days. Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy them again.
What to Serve with Lazy Chicken Parmesan
This delicious lazy casserole is a quick and easy main dish that’s sure to be a hit with the family. But it’s a good idea to come up with a few simple side dish ideas as you’re putting together your meal plan to ensure you have a full meal to serve your family with dinner.
Try these side dish ideas to take this lazy chicken parmesan casserole up a notch:
- Cooked pasta with marinara sauce
- Chopped salad with Italian dressing
- Caesar salad
- Steamed vegetables
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Side Dish
- Cooked white or brown rice
Chicken Parmesan Casserole Tips & Tricks
Once you whip this easy freezer meal, you’re going to want to make it again and again. That’s because it’s so simple to prepare. On top of being able to get this easy dinner ready for the freezer in a matter of minutes, this dump and bake meal can also be prepared in record time. And with these easy baking and freezing tips, you’ll be able to put this simple dinner together for your family in no time at all.
- Use leftover chicken. While you could cook some chicken breasts especially for this casserole, there’s no reason to go out of your way to prepare cubed chicken if you already have leftover chicken on hand. You can even use rotisserie chicken to prepare this easy dinner, making it the perfect dump and go meal for a busy night.
- Always thaw your ingredients in the fridge. Since this casserole is made with chicken, it’s important that you take measures to safely thaw the ingredients before cooking them. The day before you plan to bake your casserole, transfer the freezer bags to the fridge and allow them to thaw completely before preparing the casserole in the oven.
- Let the ingredients sit at room temperature before baking. While it’s always a good idea to allow your freezer meals to thaw in the refrigerator before cooking them, cooking the casserole ingredients directly from the fridge could require extra cooking time. To ensure your ingredients are ready for the oven, try removing the bags from the fridge around 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook them to give the ingredients time to come to room temperature.
Is There a Difference Between Chicken Parmesan and Parmesan Chicken?
This popular dish goes by a variety of names, so it can be confusing trying to figure out if all these names go along with the same recipe. In fact, chicken parmesan and parmesan chicken are the same recipe! You might also hear this recipe called by its traditional Italian name, chicken Parmigiana.
No matter the name, chicken parmesan is a delicious Italian dish made by coating chicken cutlets in breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning and frying them until golden brown. The chicken pieces are then covered in marinara sauce and cheese and baked until the cheese is gooey and melted.
- 4 cups chicken cooked and cubed
- 28 ounce pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup Panko or bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- dash salt and pepper
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Add the cooked cubed chicken to a large resealable bag, then pour in the pasta sauce. Remove the excess air from the inside of the bag and seal.
-
In a separate medium size freezer bag, add the two types of cheese. Remove the excess air from the bag and seal it closed.
-
Grab the final medium size freezer bag, and add the Panko or bread crumbs, olive oil, and seasonings. Shake the bag to combine all the ingredients together. After that, remove all the air that you can and seal the freezer bag.
-
To store all the bags together in the freezer, staple the three bags together. Make sure the staple goes above the seals.
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Thaw.
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Preheat the oven to 350°.
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Pour the ingredients from the large bag into a greased baking dish.
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Top the chicken with the cheeses, then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the casserole.
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Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheeses are melted and the chicken is heated through.
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