Could You Eat Cooked Chicken Breast Cold Teresa Palmer

Chicken Parmesan Casserole is a family-favorite freezer meal that is super easy to make. This real food, healthy dinner recipe is a staple in our home.

(Looking for healthy freezer meal recipes? We have 70+ of our favorites HERE!)

Whenever I make my Roasted Whole Chicken and Vegetables (one my very favorite recipes) or Slow Cooker Whole Chicken, I sometimes have chicken leftover. So, I throw it in the freezer. When I've got a few cups of cooked chicken in the freezer, I'm ready to make this delicious chicken freezer meal: Chicken Parmesan Casserole.

My family loves this simple chicken freezer meal recipe because it's an old family favorite in a comfort-food form.

I bet you have most of these ingredients on hand:

• Tomato sauce
• Shredded mozzarella
• Panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
• A few fresh herbs.

That's it. You can eat it by itself or serve it over pasta. It might be nice over a bed of rice, too.

Here's How Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole Comes Together!

How to Freeze Chicken Parmesan Casserole

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The easy-to-print Chicken Parmesan Casserole recipe is below, but I wanted to mention that, as with so many of our freezer-friendly recipes, this Chicken Parmesan Casserole freezes wonderfully. Simply assemble the casserole (with cooked chicken) and freeze it in an airtight container before baking.

When you want to make it, thaw it safely and bake it according to the recipe instructions.

While it may be easier to buy the disposable foil containers, it really makes sense to stock up on some quality, safe dishes that you can bake AND store in.

Print

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Description

This family favorite is super easy to make, made with real food ingredients, and also freezer friendly.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups (about 1.5 pounds) fully-cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (see Cooking Notes for how to cook the chicken)
• 1 jar (about 28 ounces) of marinara sauce (or make your own)
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Panko or whole wheat bread crumbs (Here is how to make your own) (Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond meal instead.)
• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2–4 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
• salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Make It Now:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Layer the fully-cooked chicken in the bottom. Dump in the marinara sauce and mix with the chicken. Next, top with both cheeses until all the chicken is covered.
3. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil, fresh herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper together.
4. Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the top. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the sides.

Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-4. Cover the casserole tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap and/or foil, squeezing out as much air as possible. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge over night and follow Step 5. Note: If it's still slightly frozen in the middle, you'll just have to cook it longer than the recipe calls for or defrost it a bit in the microwave before baking. Cover it with foil if the top gets too brown in the oven.

COOKING NOTES:

How to Cook the Chicken: For this recipe you can use rotisserie chicken from the store, which is a great short-cut! Or cook some boneless, skinless chicken breasts using one of these methods until it's done (165°F internally or no longer pink inside):

• Bake in Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
• Slow Cooker: Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Really! That's all it takes to get it done, otherwise you'll overcook and dry it out.
• Instant Pot: Place chicken and 1 cup chicken broth in a 6 quart Instant Pot. (Note: If using an 8 quart, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth.) Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and use a quick release of the pressure when the cook time is up. (Note: It will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cook time starts.)
• Grill: Pound out the chicken to about 3/4 inch thick (or cut it in half lengthwise) to help with fast and even cooking. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates well. Grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, maybe longer depending on the thickness.

Where to Get Chicken You Can Trust: We get our meat from ButcherBox *. Their chicken is organic, curated from small, trusted farms, and absolutely delicious. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. *Disclaimer: We are an affiliate of ButcherBox .

211 2.8 g 499.7 mg 10.1 g 16.8 g 1.2 g 12.8 g 25.7 mg

Could You Eat Cooked Chicken Breast Cold Teresa Palmer

Source: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/chicken-parmesan-casserole-recipe-an-easy-freezer-meal/

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