Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake

I decided to take a short break after our 25 days of recipes.  I figured ya'll probably had enough recipes to make you happy for a little while.  So, I'm back, at least until I go on vacation for 3 weeks to visit my family in TN!!  So, I now have a couple of other Chicken Parmesan recipes, but I love this stuff so much, that I don't mind trying tons of different recipes!  The nice thing about this recipe is that the chicken requires no breading, no frying, and only takes minutes to put together.  And, the best part is, you can use frozen chicken! Since there is no fried coating in this chicken Parmesan recipe it's much lower in calories and fat. The crouton crust serves double-duty by soaking in the sauce and chicken juices, as well as forming a crispy, cheesy topping.

Spread the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes evenly on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish (I used a 9x9 because I halved the recipe).

Place the chicken in the dish.  I chose to use frozen ck tenderloins.  They worked out great!

Cover chicken evenly with the marinara sauce and chopped basil.

The first layer of cheese.

Add the croutons and top off w/ the remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Serve just the chicken on it's own, or serve over noodles (my husband wouldn't even let me consider serving it w/o the noodles.)  Tastes great, and so easy!

Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake

Here's what you'll need to make 6 portions:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used tenderloins)
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped basil
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Spread the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes evenly on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Place the chicken breasts in the dish, and evenly space so they cook uniformly.  Cover chicken evenly with the marinara sauce and chopped basil.  Top with half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan. Pour over the croutons and spread evenly. Top with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees, or until top is browned and the chicken is cooked through.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sauce, and juices, spooned from the bottom of the casserole (on it's own or over noodles).  Enjoy!