Cottage Cheese Chicken Parm Bowl (Printable)
Crispy baked chicken layered over cottage cheese, marinara, and melty mozzarella in a satisfying high-protein bowl.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb 5 oz / 600 g)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
05 - 1/2 cup (about 2 oz / 60 g) all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)
06 - 2 large eggs, beaten
07 - 3/4 cup (about 2.6 oz / 75 g) panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
08 - 1/4 cup (about 1 oz / 25 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
09 - Cooking spray or olive oil for coating
→ Base & Cheese
10 - 2 cups (about 16 oz / 450 g) low-fat cottage cheese
11 - 1 1/2 cups (about 12.8 fl oz / 380 ml) marinara sauce
12 - 1 cup (about 4 oz / 110 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
→ Optional Add-ins
14 - 2 cups baby spinach or arugula
15 - 1 cup cooked rice, quinoa, or zucchini noodles for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray or a thin drizzle of olive oil.
02 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Evenly season both sides with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning blend.
03 - Set up a breading station with three shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and a mixture of panko breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan in the third. Dredge each chicken breast through the flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg, then press firmly into the panko-Parmesan mixture until evenly coated. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Lightly mist the tops of the breaded chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the coating is golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
05 - While the chicken bakes, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
06 - For each bowl, spread 1/2 cup of cooked rice, quinoa, or zucchini noodles as the base if desired. Add 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and layer a handful of baby spinach or arugula on top if using.
07 - Slice the baked chicken into strips. Arrange the slices over each bowl base. Ladle the warm marinara sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle generously with shredded mozzarella. Place oven-safe bowls under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
08 - Finish each bowl with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Cottage cheese sounds weird here but it adds this incredible creamy tang that ricotta never quite delivered for me.
- Everything bakes on one sheet and assembles in bowls so cleanup is almost nothing.
- At 50 grams of protein per bowl this is the kind of meal that keeps you full for hours without feeling heavy.
02 -
- Do not skip drying the chicken before seasoning because wet chicken means the flour slides right off and the breading falls apart in the oven.
- Letting the breaded chicken rest for five minutes on the sheet before baking helps the coating set so you get a better crust.
03 -
- Pound the chicken to an even thickness before breading so the thin end does not dry out while the thick end finishes cooking.
- If you want the cheese extra bubbly and browned use the broiler but watch it like a hawk because thirty seconds too long turns perfection into charcoal.