Jalapeno Popper Chicken Bake

A spicy and savory twist on your typical baked chicken casserole recipe!

A new baked chicken casserole recipe in less than 45 minutes? Yes, please!

Perfect for the whole family, great for an easy weeknight meal, or even for meal prep--just bake and serve over brown rice.

I made a huge batch of rice in my instant pot as the casserole was baking in the oven, and I had a whole week of meals ready to go in under an hour!

Total time: 40 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

• Black pepper to taste

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp Paprika

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 fat cream cheese)

• 1/4 c lite sour cream

• 1/4 c panko bread crumbs

• 1 1/2 c shredded Mexican-style four cheese blend

• 2 jalapeno peppers, one seeded and sliced; one seeded and diced

• Cooking spray

• Tastefully Simple Bacon Bacon seasoning or other bacon-flavored seasoning blend

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a large baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Cover with plastic wrap and flatten to 1/2-3/4 inch thick with a meat tenderizer.

3. Lay chicken in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Flip chicken over and season other side.

4. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, and diced jalapeno pepper until combined. Spread mixture evenly over the top of each chicken breast.

4. Lay the jalapeno slices (from the other pepper) over the top of the chicken breasts. (I do this for extra heat and visual presentation)

5. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the chicken. Season with a few grinds of black pepper. Top with Tastefully Simple Bacon Bacon seasoning, or other bacon seasoning blend (optional!)

6. Lastly, add the cheese. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top of the chicken.

7. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. Cheese will be brown and bubbly.

8. (Optional) Serve immediately over brown rice. Add salsa Verde if you desire!

Store up to 7 days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Nutrition:

Serving size: 6 4-oz. servings

Calories: 255 kcal ● Fat: 16g ● Protein: 21g ● Carbohydrates: 6g

Ingredient Swaps:

• If you don't prefer a lot of heat, skip the second jalapeno and don't put the slices over the chicken; only use the diced jalapeno in the cream cheese mixture.

• Feel free to skip the breadcrumbs. I add mine for texture!

Recipe notes:

-Chicken tenders also work well with this recipe instead of chicken breasts!

-You can always use more cheese if you prefer :)

-Great for meal prep!

Enjoy!

An MM Wellness Original Recipe