King Ranch Chicken Casserole, the Unofficial Casserole of Texas

Lynn Bruce

12 small corn tortillas

¼ cup (2 ounces) butter

1 large onion, diced

2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and diced

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Ro-Tel)

1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of chicken soup

1 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Optional garnishes: extra chili powder, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the inside of a 13×9-in. baking dish with nonstick spray.

Toast the tortillas - One at a time, lay a corn tortilla in a hot, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. (If you have a glass-top stove, you can lay them right on the burner!) Toast the tortilla for 20 to 25 seconds until brown or lightly blackened spots appear, then use tongs to flip it and toast the other side. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Hold them aside.

Saute the veggies - Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then stir in the diced onions. Saute the onions for 5 minutes. Add the diced poblano peppers. Stir and saute for another 3 minutes, until the onion looks translucent and the peppers have softened.

Add the tomatoes and liquids - Pour the Rotel, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup and chicken stock into the skillet. Add the chili powder, garlic powder and pepper. Stir everything together, then simmer the mixture for about 7 minutes, until the sauce looks thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir the shredded chicken into the sauce.

Assemble the casserole - Lay six of the tortillas across the bottom of the pan with the edges going up the sides just slightly. Spoon half of the chicken and sauce mixture over the tortillas. Lay the remaining six tortillas over the top and then spoon the rest of the chicken and sauce over. Sprinkle the Mexican-blend cheese evenly over the top.

Bake - Place the pan in the oven and bake the casserole for 30 minutes, until it looks bubbly and the cheese has melted and started to brown. Remove the pan and let it cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with a little sprinkle of chili powder for color and scatter chopped cilantro, scallions or diced tomatoes across the top.

Slice and serve with optional garnishes like sour cream or salsa.

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