Jalapeno Popper Pasta

This recipe was my other choice for this months secret recipe club.  My assigned blog was Amy's Cooking Adventure and while I ended up going with the champagne cupcakes I still went ahead and made this jalapeno popper pasta as Randal really wanted to try it.  I couldn't find jalapeno cream cheese in the store, so I used plain cream cheese and added a diced fresh jalapeno to it. 

12 oz cooked pasta
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/2 lb bacon, diced
8 oz cream cheese
1 large jalapeno, diced
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup panko

Preheat oven to 350.

Fry the bacon until crisp, set aside.  Add the onion to the pan with the bacon fat and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add in the cream cheese and jalapeno and stir until the cream cheese softens.

Whisk the milk into the pan, add one cup of the cheese and stir until melted.

Place the chicken and pasta into a baking dish.  Pour the cream cheese sauce into the pan.  Top with the remaining cheese and panko.  Bake for 20 minutes.