Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta Casserole

5 from 4 votes

This jalapeño popper chicken pasta casserole is the ultimate comfort food, combining tender pasta, juicy chicken, gooey cheese, and spicy peppers into one amazing meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta Casserole Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 1047kcal

Ingredients

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
7.4 ounce pickled jalapenos, diced and drained
2 cups milk
2 cups grated jack cheese, divided in half
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided in half
1 pound rotini pasta, cooked and drained
3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken meat
3 green onions, white and green parts separated, green parts sliced, and white parts diced
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
Fresh jalapeños, for garnish (I used 1 whole)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and diced jalapeños. Use a hand mixer for quick blending. Continue mixing while gradually adding the milk.
Add 1 cup each of cheddar and jack cheeses and stir to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together pasta, chicken, the white part of the green onions, and most of the bacon, reserving 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 9x13-inch casserole dish.
Top with remaining cheeses. Sprinkle reserved bacon and fresh jalapeño slices over the cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with freshly sliced green onion. Serve hot.

Video

Notes

Be sure NOT to use pre-shredded cheeses. They have additives added in the bags to prevent clumping, and they do not melt as well as a block of cheese that you shred yourself.
Cook the pasta to al dente in boiling, salted water to season the pasta before it goes into the casserole. We will not add additional salt to the casserole itself.
Use gloves when handling the jalapeños. Otherwise, heat from the oils will be left on your skin and can irritate your skin, not to mention if you touch your face or eyes.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your casserole as the suggested baking time approaches.

Nutrition