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Pepperoni Chicken and Pasta Bake

There are lots of recipes online and in cook books that combine the wonderful flavors of marinara sauce, pepperoni,and cheese with meats, such as ground beef and Italian sausage, .  Here is my version, using chicken.  It is very good.  
This is a great dinner and kids enjoy it!


3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 10 chicken tenders, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon prepared minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce ( I use Emeril’s or Newman’s Own)
½ Tablespoon sugar
garlic powder, seasoned salt, pepper
2 cups penne pasta, boiled and drained
1  (6 ounce) package of sliced pepperoni--cut all but 24 slices into four parts
1 ½ cup shredded Italian blend cheese (a mix of Mozzarella, Romano, and Provolone cheeses) Kraft makes a great product
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the shaker can kind)
2 Tablespoons olive oil


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Season chicken chunks with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add chicken.  Cook chicken pieces for about 2-3 minutes, turning often.  Add diced bell pepper and onion. Continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften.  Add marinara sauce, minced garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning and a dash of pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover.  While sauce is simmering, boil pasta in a large pot of water (I cook mine for 9-10 minutes) and drain.  Add drained pasta and pepperoni slices that have been quartered to sauce and chicken mixture.  Mix well.  Add 1 cup of cheese blend.  Spray a 9 x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture in dish.  Top with ½ cup of Italian cheese and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.  Layer the reserved 24 slices of pepperoni on top of cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top cheese begins to melt and lightly bubble.

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