King Ranch Casserole
A homemade version of King Ranch Casserole, featuring shredded chicken, corn tortillas, freshly grated cheese, sauteed vegetables and a homemade sauce.
I have loved King Ranch Casserole my whole entire life. I requested it regularly as a child, and while this isn’t necessarily the recipe I grew up eating, I welcome it into my heart with open arms…if my heart had arms, that is. But let’s not get all techy and stuff. This recipe is void of the condensed soups most King Ranch’s of my youth called for. I kicked those suckers to the curb and replaced them with a homemade tex-mex sauce consisting of a lovely array of vegetables, flavors and spices. This may not be your mama’s King Ranch Casserole, but she will likely ask you for the recipe. But don’t tell your mom I said that.
15-20 Corn Tortillas, cut in half and soaked in chicken broth
2 lbs Cooked Chicken Breasts, shredded
2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
White Onion, diced
Green Bell Pepper, diced
8 oz White Button Mushrooms, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
½ c All-Purpose Flour
4 c Unsalted Chicken Broth
14 oz Can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, drained
Two 4 oz Cans of Diced Green Chiles
4 tsp Chili Powder
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Kosher Salt
½ tsp Black Pepper
4 ½ tbsp Fresh Cilantro, minced, separated
1 ¾ c Cheddar, freshly shredded
1 ¾ c Monterrey Jack, freshly shredded
Preheat oven to 375°
In a large rimmed sauté pan over medium high heat, melt together butter and olive oil. Add celery, onion, and bell pepper and sauté until softened and onions are translucent, 5-8 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until juices have released and they begin to take on a brown color, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds to a minute. Sprinkle over flour and stir until a paste coats the vegetables. Slowly drizzle in the chicken broth, whisking constantly until flour has completely dissolved and no lumps remain. Allow mixture to come to a boil, knock down the heat to medium and allow to simmer about 5 minutes until mixture has thickened and flour flavor has dissipated from the sauce. Stir in the tomatoes and green chilis and allow to simmer for another five minutes. Season the mixture with chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of cilantro. Stir, remove from heat and set aside.
Have ready a 9x13”greased baking dish. Spoon a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish and then add a layer of tortillas. Spoon just under half of the remaining sauce over the tortillas; add a layer of chicken and then a third of the cheddar and a third of the Monterrey jack. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, sauce, chicken and cheese, leaving behind just enough sauce and cheese for one more layer.
Casserole levels go like this:
Thin Layer of Sauce
Tortillas > Thick Layer of Sauce > Chicken > Cheese
Tortillas > Thick Layer of Sauce > Chicken > Cheese
Tortillas > Thin Layer of Sauce > Cheese
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly. Once removed from the oven, add the remaining cilantro and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Serves 12
Would pair well with:
