Unbelievably, after talking about my experiences with traditional baked ziti and jalapeno poppers, I had this recipe in a dream. The following morning, I had a need and a vision, which led to the creation of this delectable, spicily creamy ziti.
| Prep Time: | 45 mins |
| Cook Time: | 3 hrs 25 mins |
| Total Time: | 4 hrs 10 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 3 medium jalapeno peppers – stemmed, seeded, and minced
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
- 1 (16 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
- 1 (8 ounce) package shredded pepper Jack cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup crushed buttery round crackers
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
Instructions
- Combine chicken breasts, chicken broth, salt, pepper, onion flakes, oregano, and garlic for shredded chicken in a medium slow cooker, making sure chicken is completely covered by broth.
- Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center, on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours.
- Thirty minutes before chicken is finished cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While ziti is cooking, prepare filling: fry bacon, jalapenos, and onion in a small skillet over medium-high heat until onions are tender and bacon is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small mixing bowl with cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, and mayonnaise; mix until well combined.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and place into a large bowl; use 2 forks to shred chicken into small pieces. Add cooked ziti and Alfredo sauce; mix well.
- Pour 1/2 of the chicken-ziti mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle pepper Jack cheese in an even layer over top. Spread jalapeno popper filling evenly across the dish. Pour remaining chicken-ziti mixture into the dish, and sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over top.
- Mix crushed crackers, Parmesan cheese, and butter for topping together in a small bowl; sprinkle over the pasta dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 709 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 129 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 36 g |
| Saturated Fat | 20 g |
| Sodium | 1322 mg |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Fat | 46 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Overall, this was pretty darned good. Hubby liked it, too. I cut the amount of chicken and substituted in some hamburger and sausage, for extra flavor. Honestly, without it, it would be pretty bland–and I used serranos instead of jalopenos (lately, the ones I buy have NO HEAT!) Also, I did not have any pepperjack cheese, so I used mix of swiss & parm. AND, I added in some frozen corn. I made one big mistake: I did not have any jarred Alfredo, so made some fresh and used that–it separated upon reheating. Still tasted pretty good, but . . . . I think it is still pretty bland, but sometimes that is perfect. It is mostly pasta and cheese–lots of cheese. If I make it again, I will increase the chiles, and add in more sausage and burger! But it was still pretty darned good.
I thought it was dry and I didn’t like the texture of the shredded chicken. It had a good flavor, though, and the cracker crumb topping was delightful! Next time I will use cubed chicken pieces instead of shredding it. Also, cooking the jalapeños and onions with the bacon prevented the bacon from getting crisp…I will cook the bacon separately and drain on paper towels; then use the same pan with the drippings to sauté the onions and peppers. And I will just mix everything together and then sprinkle with mozzarella and the cracker crumb topping because the center “cheese layer” was unnoticeable! Otherwise I loved it and so did my guests!