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!
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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.
