Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

Square overhead shot of jalapeno popper chicken casserole.

5 from 1 vote

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

Rich, creamy, and zesty, this flavorful and satisfying chicken casserole only requires about 15 minutes of prep!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken jalapeno popper casserole, easy jalapeno popper chicken casserole, jalapeno chicken popper casserole, jalapeno popper chicken casserole

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 504kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

11 x 7-inch baking dish

Ingredients

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (I use the Healthy Request variety)
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup cottage cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (from 1 large whole rotisserie chicken)
½ lb. fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced (leave some of the seeds and ribs intact if you prefer a spicier casserole)(see notes below)
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked until the fat is rendered but not completely crisp, then chopped (I use this cooked bacon for a shortcut)
Optional garnish: additional sliced green onions; chopped fresh parsley
Optional for serving: hot cooked white rice or noodles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, onion powder, and garlic powder until well combined. Add the chicken, jalapeños, and green onions. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired (it might not need any additional salt).
Transfer the chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and bacon.
Bake uncovered until the edges are bubbly and the bacon is crisp on top, about 30 to 35 minutes. Tent loosely with foil after the first 15-20 minutes if the bacon starts to get too dark.
Garnish with additional green onions or chopped fresh parsley. Serve over rice or noodles if desired.

Notes

- If you remove all of the seeds and ribs from the jalapenos, this dish isn't very spicy at all. If you like a spicier taste, leave some of the ribs and seeds in the peppers or garnish individual servings with extra jalapeno slices.

- The peppers will soften slightly in the oven, but will still be crisp-tender in the finished dish. This is our preference for great texture. That said, if you like your peppers softer in the the filling, sauté them in a skillet for about 5 minutes before adding them to the casserole.

- I use this fully cooked bacon for a shortcut. If you're frying the bacon strips at home, cook them just until the fat is rendered (but they're not too crispy). The bacon will continue to crisp and brown in the oven on top of the casserole, and you don't want it to burn.

- You'll need a 2-quart casserole dish for this recipe. This 11 x 7-inch dish works well. I've shown this small white baking dish in these photos, which is also a great option.

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