Skinny (kinda) Chicken Parmesan Casserole

I love practicing for a cook-off! Why? Because I try things like THIS:

We're about 4 days out from the annual "Brenner Super Bowl Cook-Off" and I can't get the word 'casserole' out of my mind. Each year, the cooks are challenged to create a "winning" dish within a certain category (past competitions: wings, chili, lasagna). 

I'm pretty sure we have a top contender, but...it is Wednesday and we don't really have plans for dinner. So...what do I do? Get inspired (on Pinterest)! 

Key search word: CASSEROLE. Yep, I found a plethora of ideas...but one stuck. And not necessarily for our entry in the competition, but because I knew I had ALL of the ingredients at home. YAY- dinner plans = done!

Recipe adapted from: THIS SITE

Skinny (kinda) Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into about 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large can of Dei Fratelli tomato sauce

1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

1 to 2 bags of croutons (I used Garlic & Cheese and Salt & Pepper flavors)

Fresh basil (and/or dried basil)

Oregano

Crushed red pepper

Garlic powder (or fresh garlic)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350f.

2. Crush croutons into smaller pieces (I used a rolling pin) in the bag they come in.

3. Place cut chicken, olive oil, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper (EXTRA), and garlic into casserole dish and mix.

4. Top with sauce and bake for 30 minutes (uncovered).

5. Top with: parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella, crushed croutons, and again, the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

6. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and the crouton bits are golden. (I added crushed red pepper, again, during this step)

This was so good!