King Ranch Casserole

By pknaub

Ingredients

• 12 6" corn tortillas (don't use flour ones)
• 1 tbl unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 japaleno peppers, seeded & finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 10 oz. cans of Ro-Tel tomatoes (see note)
• 5 tbl all purpose flour
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1/2" slices, you can use breasts or thighs your choice just don't use ground chicken
• 2 tbl minced fresh cilantro
• 16 oz. shredded 'Mexican' cheese (about 4 cups)
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 1/4 c. Frito chips, crushed

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Adjust oven rack to divide the oven into thirds & heat to 450 degrees. Lightly spray tortillas with non-stick spray & bake until slightly crispy & browned, about 12 minutes.
Cool slightly & then break into bite sized pieces.
Rearrange top rack into the middle position.
Heat butter in Dutch oven. Add onions, chiles (jalapenos & chopped green if using a separate can) & cumin & cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes & cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add flour & cook 1 minute. Add cream & broth, bring to simmer & cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken & cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes (it will not be completely cooked through at this point).
Take the pot off the heat & add the cilantro & cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Add salt & pepper to taste
Scatter ½ of tortilla pieces over a 13” x 9” baking dish. Add ½ the filling, cover with the rest of the tortilla pieces & then the rest of the filling.
To Store: Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for up to 1 day.
To Serve: Cover with foil & bake in 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, cover with the crushed corn chips & bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes & then serve