This crazy good dish of Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole with Bacon and red bell pepper will quickly become one of your favorite recipes!
If you are a fan of Jalapeño Poppers – you know that classic cream cheese stuffed, bacon-wrapped appetizer? Then you are going to love this dish. It takes all of those great flavors and ties it into a chicken dish.
And the leftovers the next day (if you have any) are even better. Actually, you may want to double this recipe just so you can have leftovers.
To Make This Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole with Bacon you will need:
- bacon
- chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- red bell peppers
- jalapeno peppers
- cream cheese
- cheddar cheese
- mayonnaise
- chili powder
- skillet
- slotted spoon
- square baking dish
- paper towels
- dishes
First of all, you will need about 5 slices of thick cut bacon. I prefer to use a sugar-free version like the kind I get from Butcher Box. Not all, but most bacon you get at the grocery store has sugar in it.
Dice the bacon, or cut it into 1/2 inch pieces, and sauté it in a skillet until it is golden and crispy.
You can also make this with turkey or beef bacon. If you do, add a little butter or duck fat to cook it in, as non-pork bacon is very lean. See this article from Wholesome Skillet: How to Make Crispy Turkey Bacon
While the bacon is cooking, you’ll de-seed and dice a red bell pepper and 4 jalapeño peppers.
Your peppers and then the chicken will all cook in the bacon drippings, giving everything a wonderful flavor. Not to mention the cream cheese making this just ridiculous (that’s a good thing!)
Add in some cheddar cheese, spread it in a baking pan, and bake this to perfection.
I like to serve the bacon topped Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole with some guacamole, and maybe a tossed salad, too.
Looking for a great Jalapeño Popper appetizer recipe? Check out my Maple Glazed Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Poppers. They’re basically stuffed with meatballs!
Did you Make this Recipe? I’d love for you to give me a 5 star rating in the recipe card below. If you share it on Instagram, please tag me!
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole with Bacon
Ingredients
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon, diced (See Note)
- 2 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 c mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Sauté your bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it is crispy and golden. Scoop the bacon out with a slotted spoon and place it in a dish that is lined with paper towels. Set that aside for now.
- Season your chicken with the salt and pepper and cook it in the bacon drippings until it is cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Scoop the chicken out to a dish.
- Sauté the diced peppers in the remaining drippings until they are tender. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon into a dish. You can use the same dish as the chicken if you like.
- Wipe out any excess drippings from the skillet with a paper towel.
- Place the cream cheese in the skillet and let it begin to melt over low heat.
- Add in the mayonnaise and chili powder. Whisk these together until smooth.
- Add in the chicken and peppers.
- Stir in half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Top it with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the top and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
Note: I no longer eat pork, however I am leaving recipes like this one up for those who enjoy it. Many pork recipes can be easily converted to turkey or chicken recipes, with little or even no other changes. Recipes with bacon or sausage can use alternatives like beef or turkey bacon. Many of those recipes are being updated with the changes. Article: Why I Quit Eating Pork
Everything looks good and delicious