Ingredients
Casserole
- 1lb rigatoni
- 6 cups chicken nuggets or cut chicken tenders – we used Bare brand.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 48oz pasta sauce
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Topping:
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumb
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Fresh basil strands
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Cook ziti according to package, drain and set aside. Cook nuggets according to package, cut into small bite sized chunks and set aside. You can also leave nuggets frozen, but for best texture, cook ahead.
- In a large dutch oven, heat over medium high heat. Add oil and once hot, add onions. Cook for a few minutes before adding garlic and broccoli, then stir in italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Pour 36oz of sauce into pot, saving about 1/4 of total amount for assembling the casserole. Let simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until broccoli has begun to soften slightly. Turn off heat.
- Add noodles to sauce pan, mix until noodles are covered. Add in 1 cup mozzarella and all of the parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Pour half of the noodle mixture in a 9×13 casserole dish. Add half of the cooked and cubed chicken nuggets to the top of the casserole. Sprinkle half of whats left of the sauce and mozzarella over the top as evenly as possible. Add the final layer of noodles and repeat process with chicken and mozzarella.
- In a small bowl, mix together all of the topping ingredients except basil. Cover the top of the casserole with the breading mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling.
- Broil the last few minutes to get crispy and browned on top, but watch closely! Top with fresh basil.
Category: dinner, lunch, meal prep, chicken, casserole
Method: oven
Cuisine: Italian
