Chicken Nugget Parmesan Casserole

Time :1 30

Yield :8 servings

Recipe Background

Finally! A dinner your inner child can truly get behind! Chicken Nugget Parmesan Casserole is a full chicken parm experience with a twist. Oh, don't worry, the sauce is still as rich and tantalizing as ever, and the cheese is melty, golden, sharp, and creamy. As you might have guessed though, Chicken Nugget Parmesan Casserole uses those beloved kid-classic chicken nuggets as the heart and soul of the dish. Mmmm, the nostalgia each bite brings is almost as good as the flavor!

Ingredients

12 ounces rigatoni
2 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce divided
2 (1-pound) bags frozen chicken nuggets
4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
6 tablespoons parmesan cheese finely grated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Coat an 8x11-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the pasta and cook, while stirring occasionally, until 2-3 minutes shy of the cooking time on the package directions.
Drain the pasta.
In large bowl, add the pasta and 1 jar of the marinara sauce and toss to coat.
Layer 1/2 of the pasta mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Arrange 2 cups of the chicken nuggets in a single layer over the pasta mixture layer in the baking dish.
Add 1/2 of the remaining marinara sauce over the chicken nugget layer in the baking dish.
Sprinkle 2 cups of the mozzarella and 3 tablespoons of the parmesan over top of the marinara sauce layer in the baking dish.
Layer the remaining pasta mixture, then the remaining chicken nuggets in the baking dish.
Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the chicken nuggets are cooked and the casserole is warmed through, about 40-45 minutes.
Transfer the casserole from the oven and top it with the remaining marinara sauce, the remaining mozzarella, and the remaining parmesan, in that order.
Bake, uncovered, until the cheeses are melted and golden, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve.