A super-cheesy and filling meal, this Chicken Parmesan Casserole is easy to make for any night of the week. Low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free.
Ooey gooey cheesy goodness
Several years back, I posted a grilled chicken parmesan recipe that was quite a hit. It is still a recipe I make quite often, and one I love a lot.
With that being said, sometimes it’s nice to try something a little different. This recipe is great because it’s really easy to customize, depending on your dietary restrictions.
For example, chicken Parmesan usually comes with a delicious side of pasta. You can certainly use pasta in this casserole. But if you are eating low-carb, keto or paleo, pasta might not be an option.
You could substitute the pasta for chunks of cauliflower. It provides some substance and texture, without all the extra carbs. I’ve made this recipe with cauliflower several times now, and I really enjoyed it. I definitely don’t miss the pasta!
This chicken Parmesan casserole is a flavorful, hearty meal
To make this recipe, there are several steps you’ll need to following. First, you’ll need to gather your ingredients. You’ll need:
- Chicken breasts, sliced thinly
- Eggs
- Almond flour
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning
- Oil for frying the chicken
- Cauliflower or pasta
- Pasta sauce. For low-carb, be sure to choose a brand without added sugar such as the Rao’s brand
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
Begin by breading the chicken breasts. First, dip them in egg, then into almond flour mixed with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Fry the chicken in oil in a heavy bottom pan until cooked through. Alternatively, you can cook in an air fryer.
If using pasta, cook the pasta until al dente. If using cauliflower, do not cook ahead, simply chop into small florets.
Preheat oven to 350F.
To a large bowl, add the pasta (make sure it is cooked ahead) or raw cauliflower, pasta sauce, cooked chicken (dice into bite-size pieces), half of the mozzarella cheese, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
Add mixture to a greased baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Bake covered in aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly. If not browned after 45 minutes of total baking time, broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is browned to your liking.
Do I have to bread and fry the chicken, or can I just grill it ahead of time?
You could totally use grilled chicken here, or even shredded rotisserie chicken! This will cut down on the prep time quite a bit, especially if you are using precooked chicken. The cook time will still be the same in the oven.
There are a couple things to note with using grilled or pre-cooked chicken:
- It will change the nutrition facts/macros of the recipe, so be sure to recalculate, if you are tracking.
- It is worth adding the seasoning to the chicken, if you are grilling it yourself. It adds quite a bit of additional flavor, and without it, you may find the recipe a little bland, unless the pasta sauce you are using is well-seasoned.
Can I use something else for the breading, other than almond flour?
Yes, you certainly can! There are plenty of gluten-free breadcrumb mixtures out there, they would all work great here.
Can I prep this ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes! That would work great with this recipe. You can do it two ways:
- Bake it ahead of time and then toss it into the freezer in the original dish. This works for a short period of time, up to a week or two. At some point, you probably want that dish back for other recipes. If you do it this way, be sure to allow the dish to thaw to room temperature before warming it up again in the oven. Otherwise the dish may crack. Bake until heated through, 20-25 minutes.
- Prep the ingredients and freeze them, before baking. When you’re ready to eat, thaw the ingredients in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for a few hours. Toss everything into a baking dish and top with additional cheese. Bake as you normally would.
If you give this Chicken Parmesan Casserole a try, please let me know what you think in the comments below. Also be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest so you don’t miss a recipe!
You may also enjoy:
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Ingredients
Breaded Chicken
- 1 lbs chicken breast, sliced thinly
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup almond flour (for low-carb) or gluten-free breadcrumbs (if not low-carb)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch ground pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 1.5 cup pasta sauce make sure it is sugar-free. I like Rao's.
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese powdered or shredded
- 1 head cauliflower or 8 oz pre-cooked gluten-free pasta if not counting carbs
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into thin slices. To one bowl, add egg and scramble with a fork. To a second bowl, add almond flour or breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt and ground pepper. Stir to mix. Dip chicken first in the egg, then into the dry ingredients. Coat fully, and set aside. Repeat until all pieces are breaded.
- Add oil to a cast iron pan and heat over medium heat. Allow to heat up for two minutes before adding breaded chicken. Cook until golden brown. Set aside to cool while you prep the rest of the casserole.
- Preheat oven.
- To a bowl, add pasta sauce, half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, as well as a head of cauliflower or gluten-free past (make sure it's already cooked to al-dente). Chop up breaded chicken and add. Stir to combine.
- Grease a large baking dish, and add in ingredients from the bowl. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If not browned to your liking after 45 minutes of total cook time, place under broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until browned.
