Easy Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan Bake

I'm just too busy on a school/work night to feel bad about using a jar of Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce to top off my favorite chicken Parmesan. Truth be told, with another 30 minutes, the marinade and tomato sauce in this recipe could easily be made from scratch. However, as this is a staple in our house on weeknights, I'm posting the super-easy version. I use an Italian dressing to marinate the chicken before I roll it in the gluten free breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs help trap in the added moisture and brings out the additional "Italian" flavor.

*Tip: Buy the freshest chicken you can find, preferably organic! Why? You can really taste the difference. Plus, you will cut out all the hormones and antibiotics in most regular grocery-store packed chicken.

This recipe serves four and takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3/4 cup gluten free Italian dressing (I use the Good Seasons packets mixed with red wine vinegar and light EVOO - extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free bread crumbs (I used the Ener-G brand)
• 1 1/2 cup gluten free spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Traditional)
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (can be omitted to make this casein/dairy free)
• One sprig of parsley for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 deg F
2. In a 9x13 baking dish, place the chicken and pour the Italian dressing on top.
3. Turn the chicken over to make sure it's coated well. (If you plan ahead, you can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.)
4. Pour the bread crumbs onto a dinner-size plate.
5. Roll each chicken breast in the breadcrumbs until fully coated on both sides.
6. Spray a different (don't cook the chicken in the marinade dish) 9x13 baking dish with Original Pam or other gluten free cooking spray.
7. Place the breaded chicken breasts in the dish next to each other, but not touching.
8. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and pour the spaghetti sauce across the top as shown in the picture.
11. Sprinkle the cheese across the top.
12. Place back in the oven and bake another 5-7 minutes until the cheese is starting to brown slightly and the red sauce begins to bubble.
13. Top with parsley.
14. Serve with your favorite gluten free pasta.