Spaghetti Sauce isn’t something that goes to waste in this house. In fact, I just made a big pot today, complete with homemade meatballs! But this isn’t about spaghetti and meatballs, today, I wanted to share a kid-friendly version of a family favorite – chicken parmesan.

What makes this recipe kid-friendly, compared to the traditional chicken parmesan we are all used to, is the preparation of the chicken. One of my favorite parts about making chicken parmesan is actually snacking on the fried chicken cutlets, and the little bits that fall off into the grease while cooking! The crunchiness of the chicken is a nice contrast to the gooeyness of the melted mozzarella cheese, and when you eat it all together with homemade spaghetti sauce, you have a winning combination, and this recipe for Chicken Parmesan Casserole delivers all of that in a kid-friendly way!

This recipe is great for kids because the chicken is cubed, in small, bite-sized pieces, which makes for easier eating for little mouths.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1″ cubes
2 cups leftover homemade spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tsp each; salt and dried parsley
1 tsp each; black pepper and garlic powder

Here’s how you make it…

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together; bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and spices until well mixed.

Place cubed chicken in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.

Top cubed chicken with spaghetti sauce.

Top with shredded mozzarella.

Finish the casserole by topping with the bread crumb mixture you prepared earlier.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, the sauce is bubbly, and the top of the casserole is golden brown.