Effortless Chicken Parmesan Casserole (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 340 grams rigatoni noodles

→ Sauce and Cheese

02 - 340 grams shredded mozzarella cheese, whole milk, low-moisture, divided
03 - 35 grams grated Parmesan, split
04 - 900 milliliters marinara sauce

→ Chicken

05 - 2 small chicken breasts (no bones or skin)

→ Breading

06 - 150 grams Italian-style bread crumbs
07 - 2 big eggs
08 - 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
09 - 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
10 - 95 grams all-purpose flour

→ For Frying

11 - 28 grams unsalted butter
12 - 180 milliliters vegetable oil

→ Finishing

13 - Chopped fresh parsley for sprinkling

# Instructions:

01 - Toss in some fresh parsley right before serving and eat while it's hot. If you want a crispy top, bump up your oven to 220°C for about 5 more minutes after the first 25 minutes of baking with no cover.
02 - Grease a 23 x 33 cm pan. Spoon half the pasta in first, layer half the chicken, sprinkle with half the mozzarella (about 115 grams) and a couple tablespoons of Parmesan. Pour in the rest of the pasta, tuck in the rest of the chicken, and top off with the last handfuls of cheese. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
03 - Pour oil and butter into a pan and heat on medium-high until the oil hits 180°C. Fry chicken strips a few at a time — about four minutes on each side — until both sides are golden and they're thoroughly cooked. Pop them onto some paper towels to soak up extra oil. Once they've cooled a bit, slice into bite-sized chunks.
04 - Dry off the chicken breasts and cut them into strips around 1.25 centimeters thick. Grab three bowls. Mix flour, seasoned salt, and pepper in one; beat eggs in another; pour breadcrumbs in the last. Dip the strips in flour first, then egg, and finish off with a thick coat of breadcrumbs. After breading, give them a gentle press with your hands.
05 - Boil a big pot of salted water. Toss in rigatoni and cook it until it's just firm — stop a minute before the al dente time on the box. Drain it, then put the pasta back in the pot. Stir in all your marinara, a cup of mozzarella, and around two spoonfuls of Parmesan. Put it aside for now.

# Notes:

01 - You'll get the best melt if you buy a block of whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella and shred it yourself.
02 - Keep extra portions in the fridge (airtight is best) for up to 3 days. Freeze if you want, and let it thaw in the fridge overnight before warming it up.
03 - You can build the casserole up to 48 hours in advance. Let it warm to room temp before you pop it in the oven.
04 - Swap out the fried chicken with leftover rotisserie or store-bought frozen chicken strips if you're short on time. For more crunch, add buttered breadcrumbs on top for the last ten minutes of baking.

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