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My family loves jalapeรฑo poppers. I knew they were going to love this Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken Casserole Recipe. If you use precooked chicken, you can easily get this dinner on the table in just 30 minutes.

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Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken Casserole Recipe:

Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken casserole is seriously the best therefore, everyone loves it! The creamy sauce has just the right amount of heat but it’s still mild enough for the entire family.

Although jalapeรฑo peppers are throughout the Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken casserole, the kids still ask for seconds!

From the shredded chicken, jalapeรฑos, cream cheese and bacon this recipe is so easy to make. Dinner can be done in about 30 minutes which is one of the reasons why I love this easy recipe.

We love making casseroles! Casseroles make my life so much easy as they are full of flavor and all the ingredients go into one pan!

You may also love King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Ritz Chicken Casserole and this Chicken Divan Recipe.

Letโ€™s get started with this quick and easy casserole!

Make sure you have a nice 9ร—13 casserole dish. Or if you want to make clean up a breeze, try using one of these foil pans.

They are great because you just throw them away when you are done. We use them often. They help out on those crazy busy nights and are perfect for bringing over for a party!

You can prepare the chicken ahead of time, and then add to this casserole when you are ready to eat. If you want to prepare this casserole the night before, you will save you even more time!

Ingredients for Jalapeรฑo Chicken Casserole:

  • cooked chicken, diced
  • cream cheese
  • bowtie pasta – If you love this pasta, check out 25 Best Farfalle Recipes
  • Monterrey jack cheese
  • cheddar cheese
  • chicken broth
  • milk
  • fresh jalapeรฑos – We like to use fresh jalapenos in this recipe.
  • bread crumbs
  • bacon

How to make Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken Casserole:

  • First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Next, boil the pasta until al dente, to make sure it isn’t mushy.
  • Then in a pan, melt the cream cheese and chicken broth and milk.
  • After these ingredients are melted and combined, add in the Monterey jack cheese and stir to melt.
  • After that add in the pasta and the diced jalapeรฑos to the cream cheese mixture. Save a few of the diced jalapeรฑos for the top of the casserole!
  • Then add chicken and pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Finally, top the casserole with the bread crumbs.
  • Cover the casserole and bake for 20 minutes. After this cook time, take the cover off. 
  • Then top the casserole with the cheddar cheese, remaining jalapeรฑos and diced up bacon. 
  • Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve this chicken dish with a side salad for an easy dinner idea.

Jalapeno Chicken Casserole:

This Jalapeรฑo Chicken Casserole is so yummy! It has that perfect blend of cheese and spice.

This Jalapeno casserole is a bit spicy, but not too much that you can’t handle it. Our kids devoured it and they all came back for seconds.

You could even freeze it or make it the night before so you just have to toss it in the oven. The options are endless!

Either way, I think you will agree that this dinner is delicious.

How to freeze:

The Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken Casserole freezes great! When I make I like to make a few casseroles that I can freeze for an upcoming busy night.

You can also refrigerate up to 3-4 days in an air tight container or freeze up to a month.

Also you an easily freeze individual size portions of this recipe so that they can easily be heated up for lunch.

It makes it so easy to reheat when the food is already in an individual container. We grab one and out the door we go!

Easy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole Variations: 

Use a Rotisserie chicken – Using precooked chicken breasts makes this recipe so easy to prepare. I have used rotisserie chicken to make this dinner evene asier.

Use Chicken Thighs – Cooked chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts is also a great substitution.

Mix in Garlic Powder – This is one of those delicious recipes that you can easily swap out some of the ingredients. We do this a lot for what we already have or can get on sale. Garlic powder is great in this recipe.

Make it keto friendly – If you are following the keto diet, you can remove the pasta. The recipe will still be so delicious!

Substitute JalapenosEveryone loves the jalapeรฑo flavor so this casserole dish is a hit. If you do not like jalapeno peppers, you can substitute with a can of green chilies for a different flavor.

Change the Cheese – Feel free to use whatever cheese you have. I have tried a variety of cheese and they all tasted amazing.

Add in Sour cream – Sour cream is a great addition.

Print this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole Recipe:

Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken Caseerole

4.88 from 58 votes
You are going to love this Jalapeรฑo Popper Chicken Casserole. It is delicious and can me ready in no time!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Calories 644

Ingredients

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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9X13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Cook the pasta to al dente based on the package instructions.
  • In a a large sauce pan, heat the cream cheese, chicken broth and milk. Stir and heat until the cream cheese is fully melted.
  • Add in the Monterey Jack cheese and stir to melt.
  • Then stir in the pasta and the diced jalapeรฑos (save a few of the diced jalapeรฑos for the top).
  • Mix in the cooked diced chicken and pour into a 9×13 baking dish. Top the casserole with bread crumbs. Cover the casserole dish with foil.
  • Bake covered for 20 minutes.
  • Uncover the casserole and top with the shredded cheddar cheese, remaining diced jalapeรฑos and crumbled bacon.
  • Cover uncovered for 5 more minutes to melt the cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You can sautรฉ the bread crumbs with 1 Tbsp of butter in a small sauce pan to brown the bread crumb slightly before topping the casserole with them.ย ย 

Nutrition Facts

Serving 8ounces, Calories 644kcal, Carbohydrates 50g, Protein 35g, Fat 33g, Saturated Fat 17g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 116mg, Sodium 629mg, Potassium 422mg, Fiber 2g, Sugar 5g, Vitamin A 847IU, Vitamin C 4mg, Calcium 420mg, Iron 2mg

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

4.88 from 58 votes (44 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Carrie Barnard says:

    So glad you loved it!

  2. Patti says:

    5 stars
    Carrie- made this and everyone loved it. I added more jalapeรฑos as we like it spicier, but the sauce and touch of bacon really made this yummy. Thanks much.

  3. Mary says:

    5 stars
    This was so easy to make with ingredients I always have on hand, and both kids and adults loved it!

  4. Carrie Barnard says:

    If you freeze it before you bake it, cover it and you can bake it from frozen just add 20 minutes to the cook time.
    You can also freeze your leftovers. Put it in a freezer pan (I use a foil pan), cover it and freeze. Then defrost it out and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes to reheat it back up. I hope you enjoy it!

  5. Carrie Barnard says:

    Yes, you can easily freezer this before baking. If you are baking it from frozen, I would add approximately 20 minutes to the cook time to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.

  6. Ellie says:

    Can this be frozen before baking? If so, what would the cooking instructions be? TIA!

  7. Cindy Noelk says:

    Excellent easy, to make and delicious.

  8. Heather Irish says:

    5 stars
    My family loves this recipe! It is so good!

  9. Grace K. says:

    5 stars
    Delicious but I definitely added salt!

  10. Mac says:

    What are the freezing and rewarming/baking instructions?

  11. Carrie says:

    Hey Laurie – You can definitely add more jalapeรฑos based on how spicy you like your food and yes, I think the fried onions would be delicious on top of this casserole recipe.

  12. Laurie says:

    Looks great but 1 jalapena wouldnโ€™t do it for me … also wondering if fried onion bits might be nice addition/ replacement for bread crumbs. Misprint #9 โ€œCover uncoveredโ€

  13. Carrie says:

    I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

  14. MICHELLE L BAKER says:

    Made this as Cook 1 Eat 2 for leftover fried chicken (2 breasts worth of meat), also subbed green chilies for jalapenoes due to we don’t do that spicy, added sauted mushrooms and corn for a 1 dish casserole. Yummy!

  15. Kathryn Canty says:

    5 stars
    So glad I decided to try this! My husband and I both loved it!

  16. Carrie says:

    That sounds delicious! I love spicy too! ๐Ÿ™‚

  17. Robin says:

    5 stars
    I think I would add a touch of hot sauce and maybe a little more jalapeno. We like spicy at my house !

  18. Carrie says:

    Awesome! I’m so glad everyone loved it!

  19. Cari Crosby says:

    I made this with rotisserie chicken and substituted chicken broth for water and it was amazing! The entire family loved it!

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