Pour store-bought marinara sauce and these 5 ingredients over chicken breasts into a slow cooker for an easy, craveable dinner that never gets old

Once the chicken is done, use two forks to gently shred or break apart the chicken breasts right in the slow cooker, mixing them into the marinara sauce so everything is well coated.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the saucy chicken, then sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella.

Cover the slow cooker again and cook on LOW for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gooey. If your slow cooker has a “warm” setting, you can switch to warm once the cheese is melted and hold it there until you’re ready to eat.

Taste the sauce and add a pinch more salt if needed. Serve the cheesy chicken and sauce over cooked pasta, rice, or veggies, spooning extra sauce and cheese over each serving.

To make this even more like classic chicken parmesan, you can stir in 1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs right after shredding the chicken, then top with the cheese and let it melt; it gives a slightly thicker, more “casserole” feel. If you prefer whole chicken pieces instead of shredded, simply skip the shredding step and just spoon the sauce over the intact breasts before topping with cheese. For extra flavor, add a small sliced onion or a handful of sliced mushrooms under the chicken before pouring on the marinara (this technically adds ingredients, but they cook down into the sauce and are great for stretching the meal). To lighten it up, use part-skim mozzarella and serve the chicken over roasted vegetables or spaghetti squash. If you like a little heat, sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the seasonings. This recipe also meal-preps well: cook as directed, cool, then portion the cheesy chicken and sauce into containers with cooked pasta or rice for grab-and-go lunches that reheat beautifully in the microwave.