Chicken Parmesan is one of those dishes that pretty much everyone loves. It's hard not to love cheesy, saucy goodness wrapped around chicken. How could you say no? Making chicken Parmesan can be a bit daunting, though, what with breading the chicken, frying it and making the sauce. In the recipe below, we make an easy and delicious chicken Parmesan casserole that takes all the work out of a traditional Parmesan and keeps all the flavor!
We start by mixing marinara sauce with tomato paste to thicken the sauce while it bakes in the oven. Slicing the chicken into thin strips lets the meat soak up all the flavor of the sauce and herbs. A layer of panko breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan, mozzarella, oregano and Italian seasoning bakes to a nice crisp crust on top. We like to top the casserole with fresh basil straight out of the oven, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer.