Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Shells are jumbo shells loaded with the kick of jalapenos, bacon, and a cream cheese filling, smothered in a cheese sauce and even more cheese on top! These are the perfect way to turn a Jalapeno Popper Appetizer into a meal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Shells: Look for the jumbo shells to fill. There is no need to cook them ahead of time; they will cook in the cheese sauce when the dish is baked.
Filling: The filling is a combination of jalapeno peppers, bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder, and black pepper. It gives you all of the flavors of the popular appetizer.
Bacon: Cook the bacon ahead of time by baking it in the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the strips of bacon on the foil. Bake 18-20 minutes at 415°F. Then, crumble it into pieces to use when ready. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can also buy cooked and crumbled bacon.
Cheese Sauce: Yes, this dish is cheesy! The homemade cheese sauce covers the shells before the dish goes into the oven to bake, cooking the shells.
Toppings: After the dish has cooked, more cheese is added on top and broiled for a couple of minutes until browned. Then, reserved jalapeno peppers and crumbled bacon are sprinkled over the top before serving.
Is This Dish Spicy?
Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Shells do have a little bit of a kick in each bite. But, you can be in charge of that when choosing jalapeno peppers. The older the pepper, the spicier it will be. Looking at a pepper, the older ones will have stress marks, like little white lines or flecks on the flesh. The younger (less spicy) peppers will have clear shiny flesh. So if you like them hot, pick the older pepper. If you like the mild, pick the younger one.
How to Store Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Shells
Store leftover jalapeno popper stuffed shells in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the oven or microwave.
More Stuffed Shells Recipes
Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
Shells
- 12 ounces jumbo shells, uncooked
- 2 blocks (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (113 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 package (12 ounces) bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
- 2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely diced, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Cheese Sauce
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ¼ cup (31.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (490 g) whole milk
- 2 cups (480 g) chicken stock
- 1 cup (113 g) Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup (113 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- 1 cup (113 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
Garnish
- reserved crumbled bacon
- reserved diced jalapeno
Instructions
Shells
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a large oven-safe skillet or 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a bowl, mix cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon (reserving ¼ cup for garnish), jalapenos (reserving ¼ cup for garnish), onion powder, and pepper.
- Pipe the mixture equally into each uncooked shell. Place into the prepared baking dish.
Cheese Sauce
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes (or until the mixture turns light brown). Gradually pour in the milk and chicken stock, whisking constantly. Continue whisking for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and add 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Add salt and pepper.
Baking
- Pour the cheese sauce over the stuffed shells, making sure the shells are covered.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes, or until bubbly and cooked through.
- After cooking for 50 minutes, carefully remove the foil and top with the shredded cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese has browned.
- Serve immediately, topped with reserved bacon and diced jalapeno peppers.
Video
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Large shells are one of my favorite types of pasta to work with.
There’s so many variety of flavors you can stuff them with and this is definitely one of my favorites
I wonder if I can freeze them