Chicken Parmesan Bake

A Lazy Mom’s Guide to a Homemade Classic

So my daughter requested chicken Parmesan this week, which is shocking because teenagers seem to only want food when they magically appear in the kitchen at 10 PM. We used to be the type of family that meal planned like pros—color-coded lists, bulk cooking, the works. But now? Now we fly by the seat of our pants because these kids have lives and schedules that change by the hour.

That said, I did a quick lunch-break grocery run for the essentials because ain’t nobody got time to make everything from scratch today. Here’s what I grabbed:

• 1 lb spaghetti noodles (carbs = happiness)

• 2 jars of Newman’s Own marinara (because it’s just ingredients, no weird science experiment stuff)

• A brick of mozzarella and a brick of Parmesan (block cheese > pre-shredded cheese because, well, do you really need cellulose in your life?)

• A bag of organic, gluten-free chicken tenders (because making my own breaded chicken today was not on the schedule)

The Process:

I boiled the noodles almost to al dente because they’ll keep cooking in the sauce, and nobody wants mushy pasta. Then I slathered a layer of sauce in a baking pan and added noodles + more sauce, making sure they were fully coated because dry pasta is a crime.

Now, because she asked for this meal, my daughter got the privilege of grating the cheese. Why?

1. I hate grating cheese.

2. I believe in teaching responsibility and life skills.

Next, I placed the crispy chicken tenders right on top of the sauced-up noodles, dumped all that freshly grated cheese on top, and popped the whole thing into a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

Final result? A massive, cheesy, saucy, crispy chicken masterpiece that could feed an army… unless you have teenage boys, in which case, double it and say a prayer.

Feeling fancy? Grab a bag of pre-washed salad to make it a balanced meal. Or just eat more pasta because that’s the kind of day we’re having.

Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Bake (a.k.a. A “No Time, No Problem” Dinner)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti noodles

• 2 jars marinara sauce (Newman’s Own or your fave)

• 1 brick mozzarella, shredded

• 1 brick Parmesan, shredded

• 1 bag organic gluten-free chicken tenders (or whatever kind you like)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Cook spaghetti noodles until almost al dente.

3. Spread a layer of marinara in the bottom of a baking dish.

4. Add noodles to the pan, layering with more sauce to coat evenly.

5. Arrange the chicken tenders on top.

6. Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan.

7. Bake for 30 minutes until melty, bubbly, and delicious.

8. Serve hot, ideally with a side of sarcastic commentary and a pre-made salad (optional).

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