Chicken Parmesan Meatball Casserole

This meatball casserole recipe has all the flavors of traditional Chicken Parmesan without the mess of frying chicken! This can also be one of your go-to freezer meals that your whole family will love!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 466kcal

Author Karly Campbell

Ingredients

For the meatballs

1 pound lean ground chicken
1 large egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the casserole:

1 pound campanelle pasta any small shape is fine, such as ziti
24 ounces marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

To make the meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the ground chicken, egg, panko, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt to a large bowl and use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix everything together. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out into around 20 pieces and roll them into balls.
Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

To make the casserole:

While preparing the meatballs, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package states.
Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the water and add the cooked pasta to a large bowl along with the pasta sauce and stir to combine. Add the meatballs and stir gently to coat everything in sauce.
Spread half of the pasta and meatballs into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

To Freeze: Prepare the dish up to the time of baking. Let cool and cover tightly with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer at 350 degrees for around 2 hours or until hot and bubbly.

This recipe was updated in 2025 to be more clear and to update the chicken meatballs to be more flavorful and moist. The basics are the same recipe readers love, but cleaned up a bit to follow easier.

Nutrition