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Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

Creamy, cheesy, and packed with big flavor, this chicken jalapeño popper casserole is the ultimate comfort food with a spicy kick.
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Course: Chicken
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 2 cups penne pasta
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 3 jalapeños about ⅓ cup, diced and seeded
  • 4-5 strips bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
  • 1 green onions optional garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, half of the shredded cheddar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin and chili powder and stir until fully combined.
  • Add the chicken broth, stirring until well combined and set aside.
  • In the casserole dish, add an even layer of chicken, pasta, jalapenos, and bacon (reserving a few pieces for garnish).
  • Top the chicken and pasta with the cream cheese mixture and stir to make sure that all the pasta is covered with liquid.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the pasta has absorbed all the liquid.
  • Stir and top with the rest of the cheese.
  • Bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes before garnishing with green onions, jalapeno slices and your reserved bacon. Serve warm.

Notes

  • I like to use pre-cooked chicken breast meat but feel free to use chicken thighs as well.
  • It’s ok if there are still a few cream cheese chunks. They’ll melt while the casserole bakes.
  • Make sure that all the pasta is submerged in the liquid. If it isn’t, the pasta won’t cook and will be hard. 
  • Allow the casserole to cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 656kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 1488mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1133IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 336mg | Iron: 2mg