Parm-Style Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

In our opinion, nothing is more comforting than a casserole. Recipe developer Deniz Vergara brings us this recipe for parm-style chicken spaghetti casserole. With spaghetti noodles, mozzarella cheese, chicken, and marinara sauce, this is the kind of dish that will please the entire family. The best part — it comes together in less than 45 minutes.

Vergara says, "I like to make this dish when I want a comforting filling meal that is reminiscent of chicken Parmesan, but without all the fuss." While we love chicken Parmesan, we happen to agree it can be rather involved. Skip the hassle by throwing all of the ingredients together in a single casserole dish.

You can absolutely eat this on its own, but it is probably a good idea to include a side dish. Vergara notes, "The only thing this dish doesn't include are veggies, so I like to serve this with a big green salad, or roasted broccoli."

To make this parm-style chicken spaghetti casserole, you can start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need panko breadcrumbs, dried spaghetti, chicken, salt, Italian seasoning, olive oil, jarred marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Add the panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a small bowl. Stir these ingredients together to create seasoned breadcrumbs, and set aside. Next, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Then, season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet, and once it is hot, add the seasoned chicken. Sear the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. You do not have to cook it fully, since it will continue to cook in the oven.

Next, cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks. In a large bowl, add the marinara sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, cubed chicken, 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese. Give this mixture a good stir, before adding in the cooked pasta, then stir again. Pour this into a large, lightly-oiled 9-x13-inch baking dish.

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining 2 cups of shredded mozzarella. Then, top with the reserved seasoned breadcrumbs, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the dish from the oven, and top with chopped parsley. Allow to cool, before slicing and enjoying.