Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole
Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole tastes just like jalapeno poppers minus the junk! This made-from-scratch meal also has chicken. My family loves this dish!
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- cooking spray OR a butter wrapper
- 8 oz pasta
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 1 ½ – 2 cups milk
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ tsp each nutmeg, onion powder, garlic powder
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 Tbsp Frank’s hot sauce
- up to 6 oz sliced pickled jalapenos, drained, juice reserved
- 2 cups shredded or diced chicken
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray OR grease using a butter wrapper.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly until the flour is dissolved. Cook the flour about 4 minutes, stirring often.
- Add 1 cup of milk and the juice from strained jalapenos (or milk for a mild dish) and stir until a sauce is formed.
- Turn the heat to low and add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and yogurt and stir. Allow the cheese to melt, stirring often so the cheese doesn’t burn and the milk doesn’t curdle.
- Add the spices, hot sauce, jalapenos, chicken and pasta and stir to combine well. (For a mild dish, start with 2 oz jalapenos. Taste and add more to desired level of spice.)
- Add additional milk if the sauce is too thick, a few tablespoons at a time.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top and coat generously with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and toasted. Serve with additional hot sauce as desired.