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The kids even want seconds of this one!

I think every parent hates to hear, "Ew! I'm not eating that!" or, "I don't like that. Can I have PB&J?" at dinnertime.  My kids like this next recipe so much that just last night I heard, "Mom, dinner was really good. Can we have it again  tomorrow night?" Now, that works for me!

The original recipe was one I threw together right after my last baby was born. It was a desperation dinner and nothing  I felt spectacular about making, but the response was so overwhelmingly positive that I kept on making it. It doesn't  need anything other than a good salad and a favorite dessert - ours is chocolate Wacky Cake - to make it complete.

Chicken and Spaghetti Parmesan

Serves 4-6

1 lb spaghetti, or other pasta, cooked to desired doneness
1 - 24 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
4 - 6 breaded chicken patties OR unbreaded, cooked chicken breasts (I do this more often than not)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a lasagna or other rectangular baking pan with cooking spray.

Toss cooked pasta and 2/3 jar of sauce together and spread evenly into pan.
Sprinkle spaghetti with 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
Top with chicken patties. Pour remaining sauce over all and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan  cheeses.
Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
Serve each chicken patty with spaghetti underneath.

*Notes:  

• It's important to add sauce to the pasta, plain pasta doesn't bake as well.
• My kids like this even without the chicken. Baking the pasta with the sauce is somehow very good as-is.