Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole turns your favorite bacon wrapped appetizer into a full dinner, with tender chicken, pasta, jalapeños, and crispy bacon all baked in a creamy cheese sauce. The pasta cooks right in the dish, so it’s actually a one dish meal with a crispy, cheesy top. It’s a crowd favorite for weeknights or game day, and the heat is easy to adjust. Made with pantry staples, it comes together in about 50 minutes and serves 6.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers are one of my all time favorite appetizers. A spicy pepper, stuffed with cool cream cheese, wrapped in salty bacon, makes my heart skip a beat. I love them so much I’ve turned them into a dip and a cheese ball already.
So obviously the next step was dinner.
This casserole takes everything I love about a jalapeño popper, the creamy cheese, the spicy jalapeño, the crispy bacon, and turns it into a full meal with tender chicken and penne pasta.
The pasta cooks right in the creamy sauce, so it’s a true one dish dinner complete with a golden cheesy top. And here’s the surprise: even people who claim they don’t like spicy food go back for seconds, because you control the heat and it’s more flavor than fire.
It’s perfect for a busy weeknight, a game day spread, or a potluck, and it’s make ahead friendly on top of that. If you love a good chicken casserole, here are a few of my favorites.
More Chicken Casseroles
- Chicken Bubble Up Casserole – chicken pot pie filling with biscuit topping
- Crunchy Chicken Casserole – creamy filling with a crispy cornflake topping
- Chicken Hashbrown Casserole – cheesy chicken and hashbrown bake
- 4 Ingredient Chicken and Stuffing – dump and go slow cooker meal
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Cream Cheese – Soften it to room temperature first so it blends smooth. Regular, low fat, or fat free all work.
Cheddar – Sharp cheddar has the best flavor, half in the sauce and half on top. Monterey Jack is a great swap because it melts so well. Grate your own for the smoothest result.
Chicken – Use pre-cooked and shredded chicken. Use a rotisserie chicken for even easier prep. White meat or thighs both work.
Pasta – Penne, shells, or rotini hold up best and cook right in the dish. It goes in uncooked, so make sure it’s fully submerged in the liquid.
Jalapeños – Fresh diced and seeded for that authentic popper flavor. Wear gloves when cutting them. Pickled jalapeños work in a pinch, and you control the heat by how many you use.
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How To Make Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, half the cheddar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder.
- Stir until fully combined, then stir in the chicken broth until smooth. Set aside.
- In the casserole dish, add an even layer of the chicken, uncooked pasta, jalapeño pepper, and bacon (reserving a few pieces for garnish).
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the top and stir to make sure all the pasta is submerged in the liquid.
- Bake 30 minutes, until the pasta has absorbed the liquid. Stir, then top with the remaining cheese. Bake another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Let cool 10 to 15 minutes, then garnish with green onions, sliced jalapeños, and the reserved bacon. Serve warm.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven or the microwave until heated through, adding extra cheese if you like. Cover it or drape a damp paper towel over the top to keep it from drying out.
Make Ahead: Assemble the casserole (without the top cheese and garnishes), cool, top with the shredded cheese, then cover and freeze up to 3 months.
Freezer: Thaw in the fridge before baking, or bake from frozen for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Pasta Note: Make sure all the pasta is submerged in the liquid before baking, or the exposed pasta pieces won’t get cooked and will stay hard.
Variations
Slow Cooker: Add everything to the slow cooker, reduce the broth to 2 cups, and cook on high 1 to 2 hours or low 3 to 4 hours, until the pasta is tender. Top with cheese and melt for 10 minutes.
Milder: Take all the seeds and the ribs (the pithy white part) of the jalapeños, use fewer, or leave them out, for a mild, kid-friendly version.
Spicier: Leave some seeds in, add extra jalapeños, or stir in a diced Serrano for more heat.
Different Cheese: Use Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend in place of some of the cheddar.
Different Meat: Use chicken thighs for dark meat, or add extra bacon for a smokier flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The pasta goes in uncooked, absorbs the liquid, and cooks right in the dish as it bakes. Just make sure every piece of pasta is submerged so it cooks through.
Yes. Assemble it (without the cheese topping and garnishes), then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before baking, or bake from frozen for about 1 hour 15 minutes. You might need to add a little extra broth, so keep any eye on it as it cooks.
It has more “flavor” than spicy heat. Plus, you can control the amount you use. Seed the jalapeños and use fewer for mild, or leave seeds in and add more for a bigger kick.
Absolutely. Pre-cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken makes this come together super fast. White meat or thighs both work so use your favorite.
Some pasta wasn’t fully submerged in the liquid. Stir well before baking so every piece is covered, since exposed pasta won’t cook through. Also, check and make sure that all the broth hasn’t been absorbed while cooking.
Yes. Reduce the broth to 2 cups and cook on high 1 to 2 hours or low 3 to 4, until the pasta is tender, then melt the cheese on top.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make sure all the pasta is submerged in the liquid, or it won’t cook through.
- Soften the cream cheese first so it blends smoothly, though a few chunks will melt as it bakes.
- Wear gloves when cutting the jalapeños to keep the heat off your hands.
- Grate your own cheese for the smoothest, creamiest sauce.
- Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes before cutting so it sets up.
This Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole recipe is creamy, cheesy, and packed with that bacon wrapped popper flavor in a full meal. Make it for your next game day or busy weeknight and let everyone dial the heat to taste!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
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 rotisserie chicken shredded
- 2 cups penne pasta
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 jalapeños about ⅓ cup diced, seeded
- 4-5 strips bacon cooked crispy, crumbled
- 1 green onions optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13 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
- Make sure all the pasta is submerged in the liquid, or it won’t cook through.
- Soften the cream cheese first so it blends smoothly, though a few chunks will melt as it bakes.
- Wear gloves when cutting the jalapeños to keep the heat off your hands.
- Grate your own cheese for the smoothest, creamiest sauce.
- Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes before cutting so it sets up.
Nutrition
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