Healthy Chicken Parmigiana Recipe for Under $10

So Kim from From My Corner of Saratoga asked me if I could create a healthy meal for four for $10. I had a perfect example in my head as soon as I thought about it.

Healthy Chicken Parmigiana Recipe

• 1 split chicken breast ($1.89/lb at Fred the Butcher)
• 1 jar Prego Veggie Smart tomato sauce ($2 on sale at Price Chopper)
• 8 oz bag of 2%  milk shredded mozzarella ($2.50 on sale at Price Chopper)
• 1 box Ronzoni Smart Taste penne pasta ($2.50 on sale at Price Chopper)
• Olive oil, garlic salt, black pepper

Boil the pasta according to the directions on the pasta. It’s a white whole grain pasta that tastes just like regular white pasta. Debone the chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces, and lightly saute in a saucepan with a little bit of olive oil, garlic salt, and black pepper to cook it through.

Preheat oven to 350. When the pasta is al dente and the chicken is cooked through, toss together with the jar of sauce and half of the shredded mozzarella. Place in a square baking pan and sprinkle remaining cheese to cover the top of the pasta and chicken. Place in oven and bake until cheese on top has melted and is starting to brown.

Serve and enjoy!

I can get away with calling this healthy for several reasons. The chicken is breast meat and not fried like traditional chicken parm. The Veggie Smart sauce counts as two servings of vegetables and contains vegetables other than just tomatoes. The pasta is made with whole grain, packed with fiber, and fortified with vitamins and minerals. The cheese is made with 2% milk – and trust me, you won’t miss the full fat whole milk version of the cheese.

My family loves this meal. We don’t even need side dishes!

Christina Gleason (976 Posts)

That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.