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    Home » Recipes » Healthy Chicken Parmesan {Freezer Meal Recipe}

    Healthy Chicken Parmesan {Freezer Meal Recipe}

    Published: Feb 20, 2020 · Modified: Jun 5, 2022 by Tammy Overhoff

    This Healthy Chicken Parmesan is a family favorite and one of the first freezer meal recipes I have ever put together. In this post, I’ll show you how to make this baked chicken ahead of time, and how to turn it into a freezer meal for an easy weeknight dinner or Sunday supper.

    healthy chicken parmesan freezer meal

    I recently made this baked chicken parmesan recipe and it was definitely a crowd-pleaser!

    This is one of my favorite ‘lightened up’ Italian American recipes to make. In fact, I bet you can serve this at any dinner party and no one would ever guess it’s baked and not fried.

    It has the perfect amount of seasoning, sauce, and cheese to make any die-hard chicken parm lover a believer. Trust me, I don’t mess around with Italian recipes.

    My nonna would disown me!

    I just want them tasty and satisfying, but that’s sometimes difficult when I’m on a time crunch.

    Thank god for my freezer.

    How To Turn Healthy Chicken Parmesan Into A Freezer Meal

    Today, I want to show a couple of different ways to freeze this recipe for a future dinner. Because let’s be honest- As easy as this chicken parmesan is to make, I still don’t have the time, patience, or energy to cook up chicken during the week.

    So, making this dish ahead of time to pop in the oven on a busy night is the perfect solution.

    I’ll be showing you two different freezer meal methods.

    However, they both start with baking the chicken breasts. So, the first thing you need to do is season, bread, and bake the chicken.

    After that, you can either put everything together into a dinner freezer kit or assemble it to have a complete meal ready-to-go, and all you have to do is pop it into the oven.

    Method #1: Dinner Freezer Kit

    Let’s start with the dinner freezer kit!

    With a freezer kit, all you need to do is place the cooked (and cooled) baked chicken breast into a gallon size freezer bag. Then, in the same bag, you will place a bag of marinara sauce (about 2 – 3 cups) and a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1-2 cups).

    If you don’t want to add sauce to your kit, just make sure to have a jar of marinara sauce in your pantry. My favorite brand is Rao’s!

    After you have everything put together, label the kit with what’s inside and the date it was assembled before putting it into the freezer.

    How To Cook This Chicken Parmesan Freezer Kit

    When you’re ready to cook the chicken parmesan, take it out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator. If you can take this out 2 nights before, that will assure it’s completely thawed ahead of time.

    If by some chance the chicken is not thawed completely, that’s fine. It can still be cooked frozen!

    However, you’ll need to warm up the sauce so it can be spread over the chicken.

    To cook this baked chicken recipe, assemble the healthy chicken parmesan in a casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake it for 30 – 40 minutes in a 375-degree oven.

    Remove the foil after time is up and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and slightly brown and crispy.

    The benefit of a chicken parmesan freezer kit is that you assure all the ingredients are available, but it doesn’t take up a lot of space in the freezer. So, you can easily make a few healthy chicken parmesan freezer kits, and have them have ready for dinners over the next couple of months.

    Method #2: Assemble A Meal-Ready Casserole Tray

    If you have the freezer space, my favorite way to assemble a healthy chicken parmesan freezer meal is to layer the ingredients into a casserole dish, cover it with foil, label, and then freeze. You can use a disposable pan or a glass casserole dish if you have one to spare.

    With this freezer method, all you need to do is pop it into the oven and bake. If you cook it straight from the freezer, you’ll need to plan for 1 1/2 hours of cooking time. This isn’t ideal for a busy weeknight, but it could work just fine for a Sunday supper.

    If you plan to make this during the week, then I strongly recommend taking it out of the freezer 2 days prior to cooking it and letting it thaw in the refrigerator. It still might need to cook for 45 – 60 minutes, but that’s much better than 90!

    When I tested this recipe I cooked it straight from the freezer. After it baked in the oven for 90 minutes, I removed the foil and let it cook for another 10 -15 minutes until the cheese was melted and browned.

    Cooking Tips For Casserole Freezer Method

    This chicken parmesan came out perfect! The chicken was tender and delicious.

    A couple of things to keep in mind when using this casserole freezer method:

    • If you’re freezing in glass containers, don’t cook it straight from the freezer because the shock of the heat can cause the glass to shatter.
    • You can use any size casserole dish when freezing chicken parmesan. If you want to make a smaller amount, using an 8-inch pan can work in your favor.
    • You will need to adjust the cooking time if you use a smaller dish! If you are cooking it while it’s still frozen, leave it in for 20 – 30 minutes.

    What To Serve With This Healthy Chicken Parmesan

    Chicken parmesan freezer meals are great to have on hand for a busy week!

    However, this baked casserole along with other freezer meals are also nice to give to new moms, elderly neighbors, or someone who just had surgery. Basically, it’s perfect for anyone who can appreciate the convenience of a ready-to-bake, home-cooked, healthy chicken parmesan dinner.

    Here’s a list of sides I like to serve with chicken parmesan:

    • Whole grain or gluten-free spaghetti
    • Zoodles
    • Roasted broccoli
    • Caesar salad
    healthy chicken parmesan

    Next time you decide to meal prep some freezer meals, make a couple of portions of this Healthy Chicken Parmesan. That way you have an easy and delicious meal ready to cook. Share a picture and tag me on Instagram or Facebook if you decide to make it!

    Sharing is caring!

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    Healthy Casserole Recipes, Healthy Chicken Recipes, Meal Prep, Recipes

    About Tammy Overhoff

    Hi, I’m Tammy Overhoff, a busy mom, wife, and entrepreneur. I am the owner, author, and recipe developer here at Organize Yourself Skinny. Since 2011 Organize Yourself Skinny has become a trusted resource for clean eating recipes to meal prep, reviews, and lifestyle hacks to help you fit healthy habits and routines into your busy schedule. I’m the author of the Organize Yourself Skinny eBook & 30-day Workbook Bundle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tina says

      June 20, 2017 at 2:44 am

      For those Commenters wondering about the where the parmesan goes, it’s typically sprinkled on top of the grated mozzarella. Use fresh grated parmesan. My recipe for this dish includes a lot of veg in the sauce to increase the dish’s nutritional content. So I add green peppers, zucchini, mushroom, sliced carrots, and sliced celery to the onions and garlic in the sauce. These are all sauteed first before adding to the sauce. My recipe also has the chicken dipped in flour, egg and bread crumbs and then sauteed in 1/2 inch of oil This could be done a day in advance. Just let the chicken cool down before storing in the fridge. Similarly, I frequently make the sauce on a separate day and then combine them and layer just prior to baking, in order to retain the integrity of the chicken crust, so that it doesn’t get soggy sitting in the sauce overnight in the fridge.

      Reply
    2. Crystal says

      April 27, 2017 at 10:58 pm

      Awesome read! I’m bookmarking this and totally going to try it! Thank you. I was looking to see if marinated with bread crumbs can be frozen and came across your page. ❤️ love it. In your write up, you write that this can be done (freeze) with any Parmesean chicken recipe, does that include one’s with breadcrumbs?

      Also, what’s the reason behind cooking it first? Solely for ease for later?

      Like, for me, I buy raw chicken, I marinade it and then I freeze it. When I’m ready to use it, I bake it from frozen (or thawed). But, I don’t cook it first. Doesn’t that overcook it? And isn’t that a duplicate step? I’m sleepy, maybe that’s why I don’t understand it..

      Thank you in advance 🙂

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        May 01, 2017 at 4:01 pm

        I do it to make life easier but you can certainly do it your way too.

        Reply
    3. mouse pop says

      February 13, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      i have already made them but i was just wondering how long should it take to reheat them. (i froze them)

      Reply
    4. Kerry says

      August 12, 2015 at 6:53 pm

      Has anyone ever tried to reheat this in the slow cooker?

      Reply
    5. Terrie says

      January 08, 2015 at 6:53 pm

      Please provide nutritional value

      Reply
    6. Terrie says

      January 08, 2015 at 6:52 pm

      Is this meal a low cal meal? What are the nutritional value ? Thanks

      Reply
    7. Jennifer says

      July 30, 2014 at 12:00 pm

      Could I assemble in disposable pan, without the plastic wrap and bake from there?

      Reply
    8. Ingrid says

      July 05, 2014 at 1:08 pm

      Sounds good, but did anyone else notice….. Its Chicken Parmesan with no parmesan cheese listed in the ingredients? Usually its added into the breading is it not?

      Reply
      • Geri says

        October 05, 2014 at 1:10 pm

        I thought the same thing. Kept looking for Parmesan in the ingredients. ???

        Reply
    9. Melissa says

      December 28, 2013 at 9:12 pm

      Hi, thank you for the recipe. I made this tonight and cooked two breasts for tonight and froze the other two. It was very easy and tasted like restaurant quality. My daughter and I liked it but my husband gets heartburn from sauce so he wasn’t a big fan but that won’t stop me from making it again 🙂

      Reply
    10. Sam says

      November 09, 2013 at 6:36 pm

      Question…would you recommend using the sauce recipe as a spaghetti sauce recipe as well? I’m doing some freezer cooking in a large batch and am thinking it would save major time if I could just double up on this sauce recipe and use it in multiple dishes. Can’t wait to try this! Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        November 12, 2013 at 12:40 pm

        Yes you can. I have used this sauce on everything.

        Reply
    11. laurie says

      March 26, 2013 at 9:30 am

      you cover the dish with foil when you bake it?

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        March 26, 2013 at 5:40 pm

        Yes I do.

        Reply
    12. jazlyn says

      August 30, 2012 at 1:42 pm

      This was awesome! Thank you so much. My husband and I have a busy semester ahead of us, so I’m going to make a whole bunch of meals in advance and this one actually looks good!

      Reply
    13. Mary Ellen says

      August 29, 2012 at 10:15 am

      Ok, I’m officially addicted to your site! I love how specific you are regarding freezing, thawing, and cooking times. I’m going to plan my whole weekly menu from your site alone! Thanks so much!

      Reply
    14. Caielin White says

      August 29, 2012 at 7:16 am

      In preparation for going back to work/school, I finally got a chance to make this recipe. I was able to freeze two dishes and cook one. The whole family loved the meal and my 6 year old was even more excited when I told her we’d be able to have it two more times (freezer meals). Thanks for such a great recipe and easy to follow freezer directions.

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        August 29, 2012 at 8:11 am

        You are welcome! I have a bunch of extra chicken and sauce so I think I will put together a couple tonight. Good luck with back to school 🙂

        Reply
    15. Rhonda says

      March 07, 2012 at 3:52 pm

      Thanks for the recipe. I assembled it in mini loaf pans to send back to college with my boys after they return for a weekend. It made perfect single servings. Also great to pull out a single serving from the freezer on those rushed nights

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        March 07, 2012 at 7:12 pm

        That is a fantastic idea!! They will love it!!

        Reply
    16. Mary says

      January 27, 2012 at 12:53 am

      This sounds wonderful. I will try it next week. 9 points….good number for dinner. About your pan, it looks loved! It it works, don’t replace it…..there is too much family history in that pan to toss it aside. Have a great week and thanks for all you do…. Oh, my husband said to tell you that he loves the freezer breakfast egg muffins….He’s like Mikey….he doesn’t like anything. 🙂

      Reply
    17. Laura says

      January 26, 2012 at 8:56 pm

      Thanks for the recipe! I will definately try this. I love that you gave very clear directions for the freezing that included cooking it from the frozen or thawed state.
      I think it’s funny that your husband was so proud of himself for heating this up for dinner. Aren’t husbands funny? 🙂

      Reply
    18. Darlene says

      January 26, 2012 at 7:47 am

      This sounds great! About the crushed tomatoes – they’re not listed in the ingredient list. Would that be a 28 oz can? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        January 26, 2012 at 7:58 am

        Sorry I just added them. Yes it is a 28 ounce can.

        Reply
      • Angie says

        February 06, 2015 at 9:56 am

        Is there actually Parmesan cheese in the recipe? Would it go with the whole grain bread crumbs or just sprinkled on top?

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Tammy Overhoff, a busy mom, wife, and entrepreneur. I am the owner, author, and recipe developer here at Organize Yourself Skinny. Since 2011 Organize Yourself Skinny has become a trusted resource for clean eating meal prep recipes, reviews, and lifestyle hacks to help you fit healthy habits and routines into your busy schedule. I’m the author of the Organize Yourself Skinny eBook & 30-day Workbook Bundle.

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    Hi, I’m Tammy Overhoff, a busy mom, wife, and entrepreneur. I am the owner, author, and recipe developer here at Organize Yourself Skinny. Since 2011 Organize Yourself Skinny has become a trusted resource for make-ahead meals, reviews, and lifestyle hacks to help you fit healthy habits and routines into your busy schedule. I’m the author of the Organize Yourself Skinny eBook & 30-day Workbook Bundle. Read More…

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