By adding chicken and pasta, the appetizer becomes the meal! If you love Jalapeno Poppers, you will love this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Pasta recipe too!
So, a few weeks ago I made these Double Bacon Jalapeno Poppers and seriously, we couldn’t get enough. It was cheesy bacon-y deliciousness with every bite! They were gone in a matter of 10 minutes (my boyfriend eats A LOT ha!). So then I decided I wanted to find a way to make the appetizer the meal (mostly so I could get my fair share!). I did just that when I made this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Pasta the other night. By adding chicken and pasta it makes the whole dish very filling, but without losing the jalapeno popper taste at all! Again, it didn’t last long but I definitely got enough to not feel cheated!
It helps to have your chicken and bacon cooked and diced ahead of time. I made the sauce separate by dicing up some jalapenos and cooking them in some olive oil with the garlic. Then I added in the cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and the milk. I cooked that until it was all melted. It’s not gonna look pretty at first, but all those lumps will smooth out, I promise! Finally, toss in the chicken and bacon and the sauce is done! You control the amount of spice by leaving some, all, or none of the jalapeno seeds and membrane in. I left some seeds in and it was only mildly spicy…I’d probably leave more in next time because we love spicy food! I’m always afraid of leaving too much and then I never leave enough.
I told you…it’s not pretty at first…
But, it gets better!
And better!
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See our Disclosure Statement for more information.
This is also a very versatile recipe. If you need to eat gluten free, just use gluten free pasta. If you prefer to eat low carb, use unsweetened almond milk and serve it over spaghetti squash or just eat it straight (it’s that good!). This recipe made A LOT. It’s always hard me to judge how many servings a recipe truly is because I have to make more than the typical family of four. I’m estimating 8 servings so be prepared for leftovers if you make the entire recipe, or cut it in half for smaller families – or families who don’t eat as much as mine!
I hope you’ll give this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Pasta a try and let me know what you think of it! Leave a comment or send me a message anytime!
Enjoy!
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon * cooked, and crumbled
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken * cubed, cooked
- 1 pound pasta *use Gluten Free if needed
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 jalapeno peppers * diced
- 2 cloves garlic * minced
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1 Cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 Cups milk
- extra bacon and Jalapeno slices for garnish optional
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and diced jalapeno peppers and cook a few minutes, until the peppers are soft.
- Cut the cream cheese into cubes and add to the pan. Add the milk and cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Stir in the chicken and bacon and cook a few minutes longer until everything is heated through. Serve over the pasta.
Caroline says
June 25, 2018 at 8:49 pmSounds like a flavorful pasta sauce that’s full of comfort factor as well.
Tisha says
June 25, 2018 at 6:03 pmI LOVE jalapeno poppers! So creative to make it into a main dish!!! Definitely gonna try this ASAP
Shanika says
June 25, 2018 at 5:45 pmI love spice and Jalapeños so this Chicken pasts sounds perfect! Yum!
Catherine Brown says
June 25, 2018 at 5:14 pmNow here’s a clever idea! I LOVE jalapeno poppers, so this should be fabulous… can’t wait to try it out!
Dana says
June 25, 2018 at 4:54 pmOh wow. I would have never thought to make a pasta dish out of this flavor combo! I bet it would be great as a cold pasta salad, too!
Rudi says
July 17, 2017 at 10:00 pmIt looks like you made individual servings? Did you mix in the sauce as well throughout the whole salad or serve it on top as it is in the picture? Also is it okay to serve it cold?
Lauren says
July 18, 2017 at 7:11 amHi Rudi! You can either plate the pasta and top with the sauce or mix it all in – both ways work. It’s been a little while since I’ve made this but I think it would be just fine cold, just maybe not as creamy. Hope that helps 🙂
Renee groskreutz says
September 2, 2016 at 12:04 pmWhew that looks hot. There is no way that I could handle all of that heat but otherwise this looks good. Clearly, I am hungry.
ourlittleeverything says
September 4, 2016 at 9:36 pmJust take the seeds out of the peppers for a mild version 🙂
Amanda says
July 16, 2016 at 8:53 pmOh this looks divine! I may have to give this a try for one of stay in date nights! Nom nom nom!
ourlittleeverything says
July 17, 2016 at 10:34 amHope you like it!
madeline says
July 16, 2016 at 9:43 amthis is such a good and classic flavor combo, and I love how you put it in a pasta dish. yum!
ourlittleeverything says
July 17, 2016 at 10:38 amThanks Madeline!
Molly says
July 15, 2016 at 10:13 pmWhaaat I love Jalepeno poppers and this sounds seriously amazing. I am getting hungry just looking at your pretty pics!
ourlittleeverything says
July 16, 2016 at 6:36 amThank you Molly!
Ashleigh says
July 15, 2016 at 7:45 pmOh delicious! This recipe looks wonderful, I love trying new dishes and treats. This pasta just might become my new fav! Thanks for sharing!
ourlittleeverything says
July 16, 2016 at 6:36 amThank you!
Lynn says
July 15, 2016 at 7:06 pmLooks Tasty! I’m sure my partner would really love this. Pasta with jalapeno twist is so awesome. I can’t wait to try this when he gets home.
ourlittleeverything says
July 16, 2016 at 6:36 amHope you guys like it!
Amy says
July 15, 2016 at 6:52 pmOh man, this sounds AMAZING! I bookmarked it for a supper very soon. Thanks for sharing!
ourlittleeverything says
July 16, 2016 at 6:36 amThanks Amy!
Ruthie Ridley says
May 9, 2016 at 11:30 pmOh. My. Goodness. Pasta never looked so good! Sounds amazing!
ourlittleeverything says
May 10, 2016 at 8:03 amThanks Ruthie!
michelle mink says
May 9, 2016 at 2:22 amnow this is a recipe that i would love to try out. i just recently started to realize how much i enjoy jalapeños
ourlittleeverything says
May 9, 2016 at 10:05 amMe too! I want them all the time now…in nachos, on burgers, in pasta…lol
Madeline says
May 8, 2016 at 2:15 pmThis is exactly the kind of creamy comfort food I would love to have on a rainy day! Delicious combo of flavors <3
ourlittleeverything says
May 8, 2016 at 9:31 pmAhhh it was good on a sunny day too haha! Thanks Madeline!
Holly says
May 8, 2016 at 1:12 amThis sounds really tasty. I think my husband would even eat it!
ourlittleeverything says
May 8, 2016 at 8:54 amThanks Holly 🙂
candy says
May 7, 2016 at 4:15 pmWe love all the ingredients. Not how it starts off but how it turns out in the end that counts.
ourlittleeverything says
May 7, 2016 at 6:05 pmVery true! 🙂