If you find yourself not being able to get enough poppers on game day, you will love this one pan creamy jalapeño popper chicken casserole. You can have it ready in under 1 hour. The whole family loves it, it reheats well, and can be frozen for later!
My whole family loves my jalapeno popper recipe that I serve as an appetizer, so I knew I had to find a way to turn that idea into a full-blown meal. This chicken jalapeño popper casserole turned out to be everything I thought it would be and more!
The creaminess from the mayo and sour cream gives all the comfort food vibes, while the jalapeño peppers provide a little spice. We had to add some protein in and, of course, rotisserie chicken is easy and tender. At this point, why not add in some pasta and make it a hearty meal? Of course, you can leave out the pasta for a low-carb version – keto jalapeño popper chicken casserole tastes just as delicious, in my opinion!
Casseroles are some of my favorite recipes to make, particularly when I have little time but still have a starving family. So if we are in the same boat together, be sure to try my Sour Cream Noodle Bake. Even the picky eaters devour that one!
Ingredients Needed
- Cream cheese
- sour cream
- mayonaise
- Spices: onion and garlic powder
- Peppers: Pickled and fresh jalapenos
- Meat: Rotisserie chicken (or cooked, shredded chicken and cooked bacon
- Cheese: shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese
- Pasta: I like to use rotini
- Green onions
How to Make the Best Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, spices, and diced jalapenos in a bowl. For quick blending, use an electric mixer. Stir in a cup of each kind of cheese.
Toss together the cooked pasta, chicken, and most of the crispy bacon in a separate bowl. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pasta and gently stir until combined.
Transfer to a 9×13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, bacon, and a few fresh jalapeño slices.
Bake until the cheese has melted, and top with green onions just before serving.
Tips for Making + Variations
- Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water to season the pasta before it goes into the casserole. Use 1 tablespoon kosher salt per 4 quarts of water.
- If preferred, you can use all sour cream instead of mayonnaise.
- Using diced, pickled jalapenos is both extremely convenient and also infuses more of that delicious jalapeno flavor into the dish.
- You can substitute 3 freshly diced jalapeno peppers for the jarred jalapenos – remove seeds and ribbing for a milder dish.
- Popular pasta options include rotini (as we used here), bowtie, or penne. Wide egg noodles also work well, like in our family’s favorite tuna noodle casserole.
- Instead of rotisserie chicken, you can use cooked chicken breast or chicken thighs.
- Lower Carb Option: Omit the pasta and serve by itself or over cauliflower rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To reheat, dish out your portion onto a microwave-safe dish and heat for 1-2 minutes.
What sides go with jalapeño popper chicken casserole?
While it is a one pan meal, you can serve it with a simple side salad, broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, or vegetable medley.
Bake it in an aluminum pan and allow it to cook completely. Then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, place it in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed all the way through.
More Simple But Delicious Chicken Recipes:
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Chinese Chicken Salad – Recipe
- The Best Green Chicken Chili Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 – 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 7.4 oz. jar diced pickled jalapenos, drained
- 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken meat
- 1 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups grated jack cheese divided
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese divided
- 1 lb. rotini pasta cooked and drained
- Fresh jalapenos for garnish I used 1 whole
- 3 green onions green parts only, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, and diced jalapenos. Use a hand mixer for quick blending.
- Add 1 cup each of cheddar and jack cheeses and stir to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together pasta, chicken, and most of the bacon (reserve about ½ cup to sprinkle over the top.)
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the pasta mixture and stir gently until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Spread filling into a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Top with remaining cheeses. Sprinkle reserved bacon and fresh jalapeno slices over the cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and top with freshly sliced green onion. Serve hot.
Nutrition
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