make ahead meal

Make this easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole with homemade crispy chicken, frozen chicken tenders, or with leftover rotisserie chicken! Add in some pasta and lots of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

rigatoni pasta

marinara sauce

mozzarella cheese (shredded & separated)

Parmesan cheese (finely grated)

chicken breasts

flour

salt

pepper

eggs

breadcrumbs

vegetable oil

Tablespoons butter

Parsley (to garnish)

Tip: Bread the chicken while you wait for your pasta water to boil and for the pasta to cook.

Boil water and cook the rigatoni for 1 minute less than al dente- (Refer to package for cooking time).

When the pasta is ready, drain it add it back to the pot. Toss with 32 oz. of sauce, 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese,  and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Set aside.

Prepare the Pasta

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and cut into strips about ½ inch thick.

Create an assembly line for breading the chicken:

Bowl #1: 3/4 cup flour + 2 tsp seasoned salt + 1/4 tsp pepper.

Bowl #2: 2 whisked eggs.

Bowl #3: 1.5 cups breadcrumbs

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then briefly in the whisked eggs, then smother them in the breadcrumb mixture until completely covered. Use your palms to gently flatten the chicken a little bit more once it’s coated in the breadcrumbs.

Add ¼ inch of oil to a pan along with the butter, which helps give the chicken a golden color. Turn to medium-high heat.

Once the pan is heated, use kitchen tongs to carefully lower the chicken into the oil, you’ll need to cook the strips in batches. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. You may need to add more oil as the chicken cooks.

Place the cooked strips on a paper towel lined plate. The paper towels absorb the excess oil, leaving you with crispier chicken.

Slice the strips into smaller bite-sized pieces.

Prepare the chicken

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Add half of the rigatoni/sauce mixture. Top with half of the chicken strips, 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese, and  1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Add the remaining rigatoni. Add the chicken strips and the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. If you prefer a browner, crisper top, increase heat to 425 and bake for about 5 more minutes.

Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with Cheesy homemade garlic bread and enjoy!

Assemble the Casserole and Bake

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/zSD6YOh6.mp4

Juicy and delicious Italian Meatballs that are low-carb and healthy.  Even better, they taste wonderful.

Best Ever Italian Meatball Casserole (Low-Carb/Keto Friendly)

- Coconut Oil, unrefined

lbs - Ground Beef

Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Cheese,

Flour

Salt

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Pepper

oz - Spaghetti Sauce (1 qt)

Basil

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients...

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients EXCEPT -  2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese, spaghetti sauce and basil.   Using hands, mix well

In a large 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt...

In a large 12-inch  cast iron skillet, melt coconut oil until bottom is covered by 1/2 oil - not too hot.  (low-medium temperature)

Once oil is hot, scoop out mixture, with...

Once oil is hot, scoop out mixture, with a cookie scoop, and form into balls

Gently place each meatball ball into hot oil

One meatballs are brown, and no longer pink...

One meatballs are brown, and no longer pink inside, remove and place individually into a 9 x 13 casserole dish

Smother with homemade spaghetti sauce and remaining 2...

Smother with homemade spaghetti sauce and remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Basil

Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 30...

Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes - ENJOY!

Cornmeal pizza dough is easy to make and gives deep dish pizzas a beautiful golden crust that is buttery and crisp without being overcooked. This recipe can be prepared in advance and frozen for your next pizza night.

Cornmeal Pizza Dough

all-purpose flour

cornmeal

yeast

olive oil

melted butter, cooled to room temperature

+ 2 tablespoons water, room temperature

Combine all of the pizza dough ingredients - flour, cornmeal, yeast, olive oil, butter, and 1 cup + 2 tablespoon water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Mix on medium until the dough comes together in a smooth ball, 6 to 8 minutes. (You can also mix the dough ingredients in a bowl and knead them by hand.) (Note: The dough will be sticky at first but try to resist adding more flour. If necessary, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading well between additions.)

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl.

Cover with a dish towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Set out two 8-inch pans (square bakers, round cake pans, or cast iron skillets will work; you can also make one large pizza in a 14-inch deep dish pizza pan or skillet).

Pour a generous amount of olive oil (about 2 to 3 tablespoons for an 8-inch pan) into the dish and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides.

Divide the dough in two and, working with one section of dough at a time, stretch it out with your palms to roughly the size of the plan.

Transfer the dough to the pan and again use your palms to stretch it out to the sides of the pan.

Cover with a dishtowel and let the dough rest for another 15 minutes while the oven heats.

Heat oven to 425°F.

When oven is heated, bake the crust for 10 minutes until starting to brown around the edges. (At this point, you can cool the crust and freeze it for topping and baking later.)

Add sauce and your favorite toppings.

Return pizza to oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Allow pizza to cool for 5 minutes before transferring it to a cutting board.

Allow it to cool for 5 minutes more (this will make it easier to slice). Slice and serve!

Creamy, rich, and topped with a crispy crust made from crushed buttery Ritz crackers, Spinach and Artichoke Baked Pasta is just like the warm dip transformed into a pasta.

Spinach and Artichoke Baked Pasta

lb Dried Pasta,

Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic, chopped

oz Frozen Cut Leaf

Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

tsp Thyme Leaves, fresh or dried

tsp Black Pepper

tsp Red Pepper Flakes ((optional))

Vegetable Stock

Milk ((whole milk will make

oz Cream Cheese ((use block cream cheese, not the variety

oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Lemon

oz Ritz Crackers, crushed

Parmesan Cheese

Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400°F / 204°C. Brush a 9x13 baking dish with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and then artichokes to heated oil. Saute until artichokes are starting to turn golden and crisp around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic and spinach and saute until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add butter to pan. When butter melts, stir in flour, salt, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until no dry spots of flour remain.

Pour 1 cup of stock into pan and whisk until it begins to simmer. Add remaining stock and milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thick, about 5 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat and whisk in cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, and lemon zest.

Stir pasta into sauce and transfer to prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine crushed Ritz, parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Sprinkle over top of pasta.

Bake pasta, uncovered, until topping is golden and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes.

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Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Best Ever Italian Meatball Casserol...

Cornmeal Pizza Dough

Spinach and Artichoke Baked Pasta

Top 4 make ahead meal recipes from across the web

The most viewed make ahead meal recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Best Ever Italian Meatball Casserol...

Cornmeal Pizza Dough

Spinach and Artichoke Baked Pasta

The most viewed make ahead meal recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine