If you’re a fan of jalapeno poppers, you will be obsessed with this easy jalapeno popper chicken casserole recipe. It’s comforting, simple and quick to prepare.
How to Make Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
As soon as you take your first bite of this casserole, you’ll realize it’s well worth the wait. Here’s the recipe:
- Cook ingredients. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp, then set aside. Melt butter in the same skillet, cook chicken until golden, then remove.
- Make sauce. Make a roux by cooking onion, scallions, jalapeño, and flour in remaining butter. Whisk in chicken stock and milk, cooking until thickened. Add cream cheese and melt. Stir in cooked chicken and mozzarella, then season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble and bake. Transfer mixture to a greased 9×13 dish. Top with cheddar and Panko, then bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with bacon, scallions, and jalapeño slices.
Can I Freeze Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole?
Freezing this delicious casserole is a great way to save any leftovers for later. Be sure to let the casserole cool completely before freezing and use freezer-safe containers to prevent freezer burn.
When you’re ready to enjoy your jalapeno popper chicken casserole in the future, simply let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it in the oven or microwave for 3-5 minutes.
Why Did My Jalapeno Chicken Casserole End Up Watery?
Typically, the reason behind a watery casserole is excess moisture released from the ingredients. This could come from your vegetables, any frozen or chilled ingredients, or even from the cheese.
To avoid a watery casserole in the future, consider using starchy ingredients like potatoes, pasta, or rice to absorb excess moisture. Additionally, make sure to drain any canned ingredients before adding them to the dish.
Can I Add a Starch or Carb to This Recipe?
Yes, definitely! Casseroles are incredibly versatile and easy to adapt to your personal preferences and needs. If you would like to add a starch of carb to this recipe, here are some options:
- Pasta
- Rice
- Potatoes
- French Fries
- Biscuits
- Dry, crusty bread
- Sourdough bread
- Croutons
Can I Make This Casserole Vegetarian?
Absolutely! If you’d rather make this recipe without the chicken and bacon, you’ll still get plenty of savory cheesy goodness from the other ingredients.
You can opt to use a plant-based meat alternative as the ‘meat’ in this casserole, or simply omit the ‘meat’ in this recipe from the chicken altogether. Just keep in mind that without the chicken breasts and bacon in this recipe, there will be less protein, so it will also yield a lighter, less filling finished product.
Alternatively, if you just want to use a different protein, that works, too! Try this recipe with any white fish, fatty fish, or even some peeled shrimp or tofu.
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 bacon slices, chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3-4 scallions, sliced plus extra fro garnish
- 4 large jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped plus jalapeno slices for garish
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup Panko bread crumbs
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Set aside.
- Add the bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp.
- Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoon of butter to the same skillet.
- Melt over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and cook, stirring often, until golden.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Add the remaining butter to the skillet.
- Add the onion, scallions and jalapeno and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the chicken stock and milk and cook, whisking constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until
- thickened.
- Add the cream cheese and whisk until melted.
- Remove from the heat.
- Stir in chicken and mozzarella.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to 9×13 inch lightly greased baking dish.
- Top with shredded cheddar and Panko bread crumbs
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
- Remove from the oven.
- Sprinkle with cooked bacon, extra sliced scallions and jalapeno slices.
