This vegan dump and bake “chicken” Parmesan casserole is mind blowing. In so many ways. You are literally just dumping everything into a casserole dish. Dry pasta and all. Stir, return to the oven, bake a little longer. Enjoy! The perfect weeknight lazy meal that will feed the entire family. Plus I can speak from experience that kids love it too! You can use whatever kind of vegan chicken you like. It will be super delicious.
What You Need For This One Pan Casserole:
- Pasta: I used penne, but any type of short pasta will work.
- Marinara Sauce: Store bought or homemade.
- Tomato Paste, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Oregano and Basil: To give this casserole a great flavor.
- Vegan Chicken and Vegan Cheese: I used Beyond popcorn “chicken” and Violife cheese.
- Breadcrumbs: Just make sure they are vegan.
- Fresh Basil: For topping.
I just got back from Iceland and I had an incredible time, but I am also exhausted. The only thing I could muster up for dinner is something I can literally pour into a dish and cook. So this vegan dump and bake “chicken” Parmesan casserole has been feeding my whole family for days. If you need more dump and bake options, check out my Vegan Dump & Bake Tuscan Orzo, or my Vegan Dump & Bake “Chicken” Cacciatore!
Why Should You Make This Super Easy Dinner?
- I love dumping everything into a casserole dish and throwing it in the oven.
- It is so dang tasty.
- You can use this method for all kinds of pasta dishes.
- This casserole will feed a crowd.
- Kid approved.
Vegan Dump and Bake “Chicken” Parmesan Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 Cups(24oz) Marinara sauce
- 3 Cups Water
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
- 6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon Basil, dried
- 16 Ounces Pasta, I used penne
- 10 Ounces Vegan chicken, I used Beyond Popcorn "Chicken"*
- 2 Cups Vegan Mozzarella, I used Violife
- 1/2 Cup Bread crumbs, vegan
- Fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees(F).
- Take a 13×9 inch baking dish and pour the marinara sauce, water, tomato paste, garlic and the spices into the baking dish.
- Stir everything around gently to combine.
- Pour the pasta into the baking dish and stir into the liquid. Then make sure all of the pasta is fully submerged.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Stir the pasta up and smooth back out.
- Top with the vegan "chicken". If you are using nuggets, leave as is. If you are using strips, chop them into pieces.
- Stir the "chicken" into the pasta a bit.
- Top evenly with the vegan cheese and bread crumbs.
- Put back in the oven, uncovered, for 15-20 more minutes or until the pasta is tender and the "chicken" is hot. You also want the cheese to be melted and the bread crumbs to be golden brown.
- Top with fresh basil if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Can’t wait for have the leftovers for lunch 🙂
The only vegan chicken nuggets I can find are frozen, should I cook them first before adding?
I use frozen nuggets too, they should just cook in the oven once you add them to the casserole. No pre-cooking needed.
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
This recipe is unreal. I was winging a pasta bake dish but it’s nothing compared to this one. So delicious as always
Made this for dinner tonight and we absolutely loved it! It was so easy too. Hubby is excited to take it to work.
Can this be made ahead.?
Sure! You could put it all together and then bake when ready to eat. Or par-bake and finish in the oven when ready.