Creamy Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta (Print)

Rich pasta with chicken, bacon, and spicy cream cheese sauce

# Components:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
02 - 6 slices bacon, diced

→ Pasta

03 - 12 oz short pasta (elbow macaroni or penne)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
05 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

07 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Pantry

11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

→ Topping

15 - 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, toasted
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan.
03 - Add olive oil to the bacon fat in the skillet. Sauté diced onion and chopped jalapeños for 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Lower heat to medium-low. Add softened cream cheese and milk, stirring constantly until the cheese melts and forms a smooth sauce.
05 - Stir in shredded cheddar, mozzarella, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix until all cheese melts and the sauce achieves a creamy consistency.
06 - Add shredded chicken, cooked pasta, and half of the cooked bacon to the cream sauce. Gently fold until all ingredients are thoroughly coated and heated through.
07 - Taste the dish and adjust salt, pepper, or spices as needed to achieve desired flavor balance.
08 - Transfer to serving bowls or plates. Top with remaining bacon, toasted panko breadcrumbs, extra jalapeño slices, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been cooking for hours when you've actually spent less time than it takes to watch a show.
  • The heat builds gently instead of hitting you all at once, so even people who claim they don't like spicy food tend to ask for the recipe.
  • Rotisserie chicken means you skip the whole poaching step and still get that tender, flavorful protein.
02 -
  • If you dump cold cream cheese directly into the hot pan, you'll end up with lumps that no amount of stirring will fix, so really do let it soften first or add it slowly while stirring constantly.
  • The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so if you're not serving immediately, keep the sauce slightly looser than you think you need.
03 -
  • Toast your panko breadcrumbs in a dry skillet for just a couple of minutes before topping the pasta so they stay crispy instead of getting soggy from the sauce.
  • If you're making this ahead, keep the pasta and sauce separate and combine them only when you're ready to eat, because the pasta will keep absorbing liquid and lose that perfect creamy consistency.
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