This whole time change thing has thrown my entire family off schedule.   We didn’t even have brunch until almost 2:00 pm because we just couldn’t get motivated.  So, of course that put dinner way off schedule.  We spent the rest of the day cleaning and hanging pictures so everyone was really hungry when it finally came time to sit down to dinner.

I needed something fairly simple and tasty.  I didn’t want to fuss over dishes and a dozen pans to make dinner in my newly clean and sparkling kitchen.

This recipe fit the bill.   I found this recipe for Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole from Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen.com on Pinterest.  I had all the ingredients on hand and it sounded so simple to put together.

Verdict:

I got hands up around the table voted the Best Mom Cook by my family over this dish.  It really was tasty.  It had all the taste of Chicken Parmesan without all the frying.

I served this meal with a side of pasta, baby green peas and a salad.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. package of garlic and cheese croutons, large-sized cubes
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 lbs. chicken breasts, pounded down slightly and cut into thin strips
• 1 TBSP dried basil
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, plus extra for serving over pasta if desired
• 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• extra parmesan cheese for garnish if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 13 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Place bread crumbs in a plastic bag and crush them with a mallet.  Break them into large pieces not into bread crumbs!
3. Place the chicken in the prepared pan.  Drizzle the olive oil, garlic, oregano and basil over the chicken.  Stir until well coated.
4. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven.
6. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the chicken
7. Spread the croutons evenly over the cheese.
8. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the croutons.
9. Return the pan to the oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.
10. Remove pan from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese if desired.