I know – it’s pretty ugly. But it’s SO delicious – don’t hold it’s ugliness against it! This is basically a healthier (as in baked-not-breaded-and-fried), quicker version of chicken parmesan. I have a chicken parmesan recipe I love, but this one is faster and healthier!
I cut my chicken breasts in half so they’d cook better and it worked out well. You could probably use chicken tenders, or, pound the chicken breasts flat to make it look a little better. You could also make homemade croutons to eliminate a processed food from the ingredient list. Because of the croutons on top, it doesn’t re-heat as nice and crunchy….but it does re-heat deliciously aside from the croutons.
Chicken Parmesan Bake
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 4 because they were very large)
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped basil (I omitted and used a dried italian seasoning)
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons
Directions
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
– Mix the olive oil, crushed/minced garlic cloves and red pepper (to taste) in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish
– Place chicken breasts in casserole dish and roll around a bit in the olive oil mixture
– Pour the marinara sauce over the chicken breasts, then the basil, then half the mozzarella and half the parmesan
– Sprinkle the croutons over the cheese evenly, then top with your remaining mozzarella and parmesan
– Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (this time may vary based on how large your chicken breasts are, so be sure to check it with a meat thermometer!)
