Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with foil. Place baking rack atop lined baking sheet.

Step 2

In a mixing bowl, toss chicken thighs in salt and pepper. Transfer seasoned chicken to prepared baking rack. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and place on paper towel-lined plate to remove excess grease. Do not discard bacon grease.

Step 4

In pan of bacon grease over medium heat, add chopped jalapeños and cook until softened and edges are browned, about 3 minutes. To pan, add cubed cream cheese, mayonnaise, and hot sauce and cook until cream cheese has softened and all ingredients are well-combined, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Once chicken has finished cooking, remove baking sheet from oven. Do not turn oven off. Transfer chicken to mixing bowl and shred using two forks. Mix in crumbled bacon and cream cheese mixture.

Step 6

Transfer mixture to 8×8 baking pan and, using a rubber spatula, spread into an even layer. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar atop mixture. Transfer baking pan to middle rack of oven and bake for 10 minutes before turning oven broiler on and broiling for 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow casserole to cool slightly before cutting into pieces.