Creamy Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta (Print Version)

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

# What You’ll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, rotisserie or poached
02 - 6 slices bacon, chopped

→ Pasta

03 - 12 ounces short pasta such as elbow macaroni or penne

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

04 - 2 to 3 fresh jalapeños, seeded and diced
05 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy and Cheese

07 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Seasonings

11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for pasta water
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions
15 - Fresh jalapeño slices

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.
03 - Add chopped onion and diced jalapeños to the skillet. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
04 - Add softened cream cheese, stirring until melted and smooth. Pour in milk gradually while whisking to create a creamy sauce.
05 - Stir in cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses until completely melted and sauce is smooth. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
06 - Add shredded chicken and half of cooked bacon to the sauce. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
07 - Toss in cooked pasta, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce to desired consistency.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with remaining bacon, chopped chives or green onions, and extra jalapeño slices if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes way more complicated than the 45 minutes it actually takes, so you'll feel like a kitchen wizard when people ask for the recipe.
  • The heat from jalapeños is gentle enough to enjoy but bold enough to keep things interesting, with an easy way to turn up the spice if you're feeling brave.
  • Bacon fat does the heavy lifting here, meaning the creamy sauce has real depth without tasting heavy or one-note.
02 -
  • Don't rush the cream cheese melting step, because if you crank the heat or don't stir enough, it'll get grainy and won't smooth out no matter how much milk you add.
  • Pasta water is magic here, not an accident, so always reserve it and use it to control how creamy the final dish is instead of just eyeballing it.
  • The sauce will thicken as it cools, so if it seems a little loose when you're plating, that's actually perfect because it'll firm up and coat everything beautifully.
03 -
  • Soften your cream cheese on the counter for fifteen minutes before you start cooking so it melts into the sauce without leaving lumps, which is worth the tiny bit of planning.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you'll need because it's the easiest way to rescue a sauce that's too thick, and you can always pour it out if you don't use it.
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