How to make Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
This recipe is both super tasty and also super quick and easy! I am going to walk through some of my tips on making this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Bake recipe.Ingredients Jalapeno Popper Chicken Bake
- Chicken breast- This will be about 3-4 average sized chicken breasts. If the chicken breasts are thick, I recommend cutting them in half so that they are half the thickness. This will help the dish cook more quickly and evenly.
- Garlic powder
- Cream cheese- I use regular Philadelphia cream cheese when I make this recipe. You can also sub light cream cheese, but fat free cream cheese will not work will since it doesn’t melt the same way.
- Fresh jalapeño peppers- You can find fresh jalapeños in the produce department of any grocery store.
- Sharp cheddar cheese- I really prefer sharp cheddar for this recipe. It is great because it packs a lot of flavor. If you are in a pinch you can substitute mild cheddar or mexican blend cheese.
- Crumbled crispy bacon- I think fresh bacon works best for this. I like to cook bacon in the oven like this and then throw the leftovers in a bag in the freezer so I can reuse them easily in any recipe. Make sure the bacon is nice and crispy, then crumble it up until you get half a cup.
Recipe Variations Jalapeno Popper Chicken Bake
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!- Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken– If you want to make this a little fancier, you can stuff the filling inside instead of baking it on top of the Jalapeno Popper Chicken. To do this, instead of pounding the chicken flat, cut a slit in the chicken. To prepare the filling, dice the jalapeno, and mix it with the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, then stuff it inside the chicken breast. I recommend searing the outside of the chicken in a skillet, then transferring the chicken to the oven to finish baking.
- Crockpot Jalapeno Chicken– To make this recipe in a crock pot, layer the chicken jalapeno, and cream cheese in the crockpot and cook on high for 2.5-3 hours, or low for 3.5-4 hours. Then before serving, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and crispy bacon.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Bake recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.- Season the chicken as directed and spread cream cheese on top.
- Lay the jalapeno peppers on, then top with cheese.
- FREEZE
- Once ready to cook, thaw for 24-48 hours in the refrigerator and then bake as directed. *Cook time may increase by up to 10 minutes since it will start from a colder point.
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Ingredients
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2 lbs chicken breast, boneless skinless, (about 3-4 chicken breasts)
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▢1/2 tsp garlic powder
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8 oz cream cheese, softened
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1/2 pound jalapeño peppers, fresh, about 5-6 peppers
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4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
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1/2 cup crispy bacon, crumbled
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 375˚F
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Lay chicken breasts flat in a casserole dish. Season them with the garlic powder then spread the cream cheese over them evenly.
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Wash the jalapeño peppers and then cut the tops off. Remove the seeds and stems if you want it milder, or leave some if you want more spice, then cut the peppers into strips and lay them on top of the cream cheese then sprinkle the cheddar cheese over top.
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Bake for 40-45 minutes, remove from oven 5 minutes before cooking is complete and sprinkle with bacon then return for the remaining cook time. Chicken is done when cooked through to an internal temperature of 165˚F.
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Serve warm with a side of potatoes, veggies, or a baked potato. Enjoy!
Nutrition
8 servings per container- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 401
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 27g42%
- Saturated Fat 13g65%
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 133mg45%
- Sodium 976mg41%
- Potassium 0mg0%
- Total Carbohydrate 3g1%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 2 g
- Protein 37g74%
