No-Fuss Chicken Parmesan Casserole

EASIER

GLUTEN-FREE

Makes 6 servings

In North America, the “Chicken Parmesan” thing is something of a misnomer. It’s always made with melted mozzarella, not Parmigiano-Reggiano. And it’s alleged to be a dish from Parma. (Spoiler alert: It’s not.) But nomenclature aside, this recipe gets you a pretty fantastic dinner without much fuss: chicken breasts straight from the freezer baked with marinara. Always keep jars of plain marinara sauce in the pantry, or containers of your homemade in the freezer, for these and other emergencies.

1 tablespoon olive oil

Six 8-ounce frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 cups plain marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade (here)

2 cups shredded mozzarella (about 8 ounces)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Up to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; heat the oven to 350°F.

2. Pour the oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; spread it to coat the bottom evenly. Set the frozen chicken breasts in the pan in one layer.

3. Pour the marinara sauce over the chicken, cover the dish with parchment paper, then seal with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

4. Uncover the baking dish and use an instant-read meat thermometer to take the temperature in the thickest part of a couple of the chicken breasts. The temperature should be 125°F. If not, cover the baking dish again and continue baking, testing the temperature every 10 minutes.

5. Once the chicken’s at the right temperature, sprinkle the pieces evenly with the cheese, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.

6. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and lightly browned and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a couple of the breasts registers 165°F, about 15 minutes longer. Cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes before serving.

Test Kitchen Notes

• This recipe will only work with smaller boneless skinless chicken breasts, not the giant ones that sometimes weigh nearly 1 pound each.

• Parchment paper puts a necessary barrier between the acidic marinara sauce and the reactive aluminum foil.

• This recipe assumes that the marinara sauce carries the salt. Bring more to the table and salt to taste.

• If gluten is a concern, make sure your store-bought marinara sauce is indeed gluten-free.

• As a bonus, this recipe is a lighter version of the usual, since the chicken isn’t first breaded and fried.

Voilà! Before shredding cheese with the large holes of a box grater, spray the grater with nonstick spray to cut down on sticking.