Jalapeno Popper Chicken Pasta make the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with rotisserie chicken, bacon and a jalapeno popper mixture, then topped with a jalapeno cheese sauce before baked to perfection. Combining baked shells with a jalapeno popper appetizer.. ultimate comfort food!

JALAPENO POPPER CHICKEN PASTA

When it comes to guilty pleasures and comfort food, jalapeno popper anything is always at the top of my list! 

What’s not to love about spicy jalapeno peppers paired up with a creamy, cheesy filling?

So it stands to reason if we add .. um .. bacon …. and maybe some shredded chicken that we would be on the path to taste bud nirvana.. right?

(..yes.. the answer is yes)

Over the top decadent cheesy pasta and the ultimate comfort food, these Jalapeno Popper Chicken Stuffed Shells have it all!

JALAPENO POPPER CHICKEN + PASTA SHELLS

So what exactly are Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Shells?

Think of classic Italian stuffed shells but instead of those jumbo pasta shells being stuffed with ricotta cheese and covered in marinara sauce, we added a took a hard right.

This easy baked shells recipe combines classic stuffed shells and your favorite jalapeno popper appetizer.

We are taking those jumbo pasta shells and stuffing them with a creamy jalapeno popper mixture complete with bacon, jalapeno peppers and rotisserie chicken.

(… but WAIT! … there’s more!!)

And instead of marinara sauce, we are covering our stuffed shells with a creamy jalapeno cheese sauce, adding some shredded cheese and then baking them to perfection.

Healthy? .. no!

DELICIOUS baked shells recipe? … YES!!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• New fun take on your classic stuffed shells recipe.
• Combines the idea of Italian stuffed shells with your favorite jalapeno popper appetizer.
• Spicy jalapeno peppers, creamy cheese sauce, rotisserie chicken and BACON!
• Using rotisserie chicken is a quick, easy alternative to baking chicken at home.
• The ultimate comfort food, this jalapeno popper pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner idea.
• This jalapeno baked shells recipe yields a lot of shells, so it’s perfect for serving a crowd.
• Leftovers are great for lunch or another quick dinner.

POPPER PASTA INGREDIENTS

• Large jumbo pasta shells
• Jalapeno peppers
• Bacon
• Cream cheese
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Pepper Jack cheese
• Rotisserie chicken
• Green onions
• Milk
• Chicken stock
• Butter 
• All purpose flour
• Parmesan cheese
• Spices

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Pasta – Feel free to sub out the large pasta shells for manicotti or even roll the filling up in cooked lasagna noodles to make little popper pinwheels.
• Jalapeno peppers – Want to dial down the spicy kick from the peppers? When shopping for your jalapenos, grab peppers that aren’t as ripe. They will be shiny and without stress fractures. The older the pepper, the spicier the kick.
• Bacon – I love using pre-cooked bacon pieces from the salad aisle at my grocery store. Huge time and trouble saver. If you prefer to use ‘fresh’ bacon, simply line a large baking tray with foil and cook your bacon in a 400 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked crispy.

HOW TO MAKE JALAPENO PASTA

• Start by preheating oven to 350 degrees and spraying a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook shells following box instructions but pull 1 minute early. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
• While pasta is cooking, make your jalapeno cheese sauce.
• Add diced jalapeno pepper to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir to cook for 1 minute.

• Move 2/3 of the jalapeno and garlic to a large mixing bowl while leaving the remaining amount in your skillet.
• To your skillet ,add in your butter and once your butter is melted, add in the flour.
• Whisk together and continue whisking while your flour cooks for 1-2 minutes before slowly pouring in the milk and chicken stock.
• Whisk together to combine and break up any flour clumps.
• Add in salt and pepper and bring to a low boil, stirring often.
• Once boiling, turn heat down to medium and stir in the Parmesan cheese and Pepper Jack cheese and continue to stir until all of your cheese has melted.

• In a large bowl, combine bacon, 2 diced jalapeno peppers, shredded rotisserie chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, seasonings and 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

• Spoon jalapeno popper mixture into the shells and place open sides up in the baking pan.

• Cover with jalapeno cheese sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

EXPERT TIPS

• Be sure not to over-cook your pasta shells. I usually pull my shells 1-2 minutes before the recommended cook time to make sure they don’t over-cook in the oven.
• Don’t over-stuff your baked shells. You want your pasta shell full but not overflowing.
• Spoon your cheese sauce over your stuffed shells. You don’t need them completely covered.
• These shells make great leftovers! Store them in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
• I recommend boiling the entire package of pasta shells, even though we may not use them all. Some of them may tend to break during boiling and we want shells that are intact.
• To make life easy, consider grabbing a package of pre-cooked baked pieces from the salad dressing aisle of you grocery store. They are life saving!

STORING AND REHEATING YOUR LEFTOVERS

Store the leftover jalapeno popper pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through or pop them in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

MORE JALAPENO PEPPER RECIPES

• One Pan Keto Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken
• Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Dip
• Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken
• Chicken Ravioli with Jalapeno Pesto
• Jalapeno Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Enjoy ♥ Heather

Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2020 but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions and tips in March of 2024.