Small-Batch Jalapeño Popper Casserole for 4
Jalapeño popper casserole is officially on bi-weekly rotation now that we’re sticking around the house more. Made with pantry and freezer staples, it’s quick to throw together and really easy to make. The added feather in this recipe’s cap is the fact that it uses low-fat alternatives to keep the calorie count low, too.
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If you are looking for a fun, spicy, easy-to-make-ahead recipe that everyone will love, you’re in the right place. Oh, and did I mention it’s a small batch recipe? This makes 4 servings, just enough for a family dinner or meal prep. So, you don’t have to worry about wasting food or dealing with leftovers!
Mise en Place for Jalapeño Popper Casserole
I’ve mentioned before that we make a ton of rice on Sundays to do our lunch meal prep. Since we’re just dumping it in the Instant Pot and letting it go, we always have leftovers. This means Sunday dinner is either fried rice or, you guessed it, jalapeño popper casserole!
But what if you’re not usually a massive rice fiend? You need to make up 4 cups of rice for this recipe ahead of time, and let it cool. This is easier than it sounds, though.
How to Quickly Make 4 Cups of Rice
You can dump 1 1/3 cups long-grain rice into a pot of boiling water. Let it cook until it’s fully cooked and then drain it. Rinse it in cold water, and you’re set.
If you want to make this low-carb, feel free to sub in cauliflower rice instead. Just make sure to sauté it first to get some of the water out.
Prep Your Chicken
There are so many ways to get enough chicken. I have bags of frozen chicken breasts on hand, so I throw 2 in the Instant Pot. It takes about 20 minutes to have fully cooked chicken.
Even easier than that, your deli section has rotisserie chickens, right? Those are great! Sometimes, they even sell little containers of cold diced chicken from yesterday’s unbought birds.
If that’s not your style, the freezer section often has frozen grilled chicken strips you just have to thaw, or there are cold grilled chicken strips next to the sandwich meat. Find your own way, but you just need a little over 1 cup of diced chicken.
If you want to make this low carb, you can double up the chicken to bolster that cauliflower rice and keep it from being soggy.
Picking the Peppers for Jalapeño Popper Casserole
Obviously you need jalapeños for this, right? I use pickled because I like the little vinegary kick that comes with them. The heat is also a little tempered that way. Roughly 1/3 a cup of pickled jalapeño chips is enough heat for me, but that’s not enough veg for a proper meal. Sure, you can really kick it up a notch with more.
That’s why I supplement with a large green bell pepper, diced. You could use whatever color you have on hand, but I prefer green for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s the same color as the jalapeños, so it’s more of a surprise how spicy your bite will be. Second, they’re a little bitter. I like this better than adding sweetness to the casserole. It’s a personal choice, though.
Mixing it All Together
Once you’ve diced your chicken, jalapeños, and bell peppers, just dump them in your mixing bowl with your rice. Mix in some shredded cheddar, the sour cream, and a can of cream of chicken soup.
Spread it in your smoked cracked black pepper for a little extra smoky flavor.
If you want to get fancy, decorate with more jalapeño coins. Bake at 400ºF for 45 minutes until the cheese is nice and bubbly and brown. Let it cool a bit, and then dig in!
Make it a Meal
Of course, this small batch jalapeno popper casserole is a perfect meal by itself, if you aren’t picky. However, you can really round it out with garlic cheddar biscuits or 3 ingredient beer bread muffins and a nice bagged salad. It’s easy, not a lot of extra work, and you’ll have a tableful of happy bellies.
Make Jalapeño Popper Casserole Ahead of Time
If you’re looking for a casserole you can make ahead of time and keep in the freezer for a rainy day, this is it. It’s great for when a neighbor needs dinner or when the kids bring friends over unexpectedly.
Get a bunch of those 9×9 aluminum pans at the store, and get to making casseroles. Before you freeze them, cover them in foil, and label the top with the casserole name and baking directions. Something as simple as, “Jalapeño Popper Casserole | 400ºF | 45 minutes” is good enough.
To bake a casserole that has been frozen, it’s best to thaw it first so you have a better idea of the baking time. If you are baking it from frozen, it could take as long as an hour and a half. Make sure that you cover it with clean foil (not the one that has permanent marker on it) to insulate the heat.
If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe for an awesome worksheet so you can put jalapeño popper casserole on it!
Small-Batch Jalapeño Popper Casserole
Equipment
- 2 quart casserole
- 2 quart mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 small chicken breasts cooked
- ⅓ cup pickled jalapeños
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 can reduced fat cream of chicken condensed soup
- ½ cup light sour cream
- 4 cups cooked rice cold
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Dice the chicken, jalapeños, and green bell pepper, and add to a mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl, add 1 cup of cheddar, the can of cream of chicken and sour cream. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the rice. If the mixture is too thick, you may add a tablespoon or so of water.
- Spread the mix evenly in your casserole dish, and sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top. Additionally, sprinkle the black pepper on top.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
