Whether you were busy watching the kids all day, working all day, or a bit of both, finding the time to make a tasty and healthy dinner can often feel overwhelming. But before you reach for the phone to call for takeout, consider this easy-to-make recipe that’s low calorie, packed full of lean proteins and whole grains, and way more affordable than takeout.

Low Calorie Crockpot Chicken Parm Recipe

Ingredients

cooking spray
2 cups whole grain pasta dry
1 lb chicken breast thin sliced
1 cup water
3 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup whole grain bread crumbs
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp parmesan cheese
3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Coat the bottom of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Add in the dry pasta, water, and ½ of the tomato sauce.
Place chicken breasts on top of pasta. Next, sprinkle bread crumbs over top of chicken. Pour on remaining tomato sauce and top with garlic, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
Place the top on the slow cooker and set the cook setting to high. Allow to cook for 4 hours, then serve warm with your favorite vegetables on the side.
This whole recipe takes about 5 minutes to assemble and then cooks itself- it doesn’t get much easier than that! And it takes great as well!

Recipe Notes

Note: You can also choose to add the noodles and ½ tomato sauce during the last 30-40 minutes of the recipe cooking. The above recipe allows for faster assembly and “set-it-and-forget-it cooking,” but if you prefer your noodles a bit more al dente or will be home while this meal is cooking, try waiting to add them instead.