If you like cheesy chicken casseroles with a kick to them then you are going to go ape of this yummy King Ranch dish! Sometimes, when I make this casserole, my children refer to it as, “Queen Ranch Casserole” because I’m a girl and I made it. LOL isn’t that adorable? My kids are so creative 🙂 Did I mention that my little cherubs are crazy about this casserole? They absolutely love it and so does my husband. it makes a wonderful weeknight meal as it is very easy to throw together. Yummy!
So true! At first glance, you might think that this recipe is quite lengthy and stressful but I assure you that it is not. King Ranch casserole is one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of Tyson chicken, without skin and bones
4 teaspoons of lime juice
1/4 cup of Bertolli olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of Land O Lakes butter
1/2 an onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 10oz. can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (or you can use a can of regular diced tomatoes and a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, or if tomatoes are in season, can use two cups of diced fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup of diced green chiles, such as a jalapeno)
4 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon of McCormick cumin
1 cup of College Inn chicken broth
2 tablespoons of Gold Medal flour
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of Borden half and half
1/3 cup of Daisy sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
3 cups of grated pepper jack and cheddar
10 corn tortillas
Morton salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
1. Cook the chicken in the olive oil on medium, adding 2 teaspoons of lime juice, 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder and salt to taste.
2. When chicken is done (after about 20 minutes), shred it with two forks and set aside. Should yield about 3 cups.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper and poblano pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder, and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chicken broth and cook on low until mixture is thickened, a few minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Uncover the pot, and add the sour cream, 2 teaspoons of lime juice and 1/4 cup of cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
8. Heat up the tortillas (you can do this by adding a bit of oil on an iron skillet and then cooking the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side).
9. Ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan.
10. Layer half the tortillas along the bottom of the pan (on top of the sauce). To make sure entire pan is evenly covered, you can rip some of the tortillas into strips to fill any gaps.
11. Add half the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese.
12. Repeat the layering, leaving the cheese layer on top.
13. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Serves 6-12, depending on how big a portion you distribute. Goes great with sour cream and cilantro on top.
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Quick Tip: King Ranch casserole can be made with any kind of poultry meat.