Chicken Parmesan Casserole

My idea of chicken parmesan was buying breaded chicken tenderloins at Costco and putting them on top of spaghetti with sauce and some mozzarella. Then, I found this recipe. It is so easy, and it is so amazing. My husband put this in the "this is the best thing you have ever made" category. I choose not to serve with pasta because I think there are enough carbohydrates in the meal so I pair it with a green vegetable. I have tried a few different types of croutons; they can be a bit too salty so the search continues...not really wanting to make my own.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• cayenne red pepper to taste (in our house, we use a lot)
• 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups marinara sauce (I used 2/3 of a spaghetti sauce jar)
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz Parmesan cheese (you can buy either shredded or the grated variety)
• 1 package (5 oz) garlic croutons

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a casserole dish, pour olive oil.
3. Add garlic and cayenne red pepper.
4. Place chicken breasts in dish.
5. Cover with sauce; spread over chicken.
6. Top with basil.
7. Layer with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
8. Top with croutons.
9. Bake for 35-45 minutes (internal temperature of 155 degrees Fahrenheit, or cut it and check like me)

Difficulty: Easy

Time:10 minute prep time; 45 minutes baking time

Source: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html