King Ranch Chicken

By lamarandrose

This classic Texas dish is also is one of our family’s favorite casseroles. I once fed it to a couple of hungry young men and they suggested I open a restaurant! I don’t know many restaurants that serve casserole, but it is good.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 8-10 (8-inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook chicken breasts until browned and cooked through.
Remove from pan and shred into bite size pieces.
Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat.
Add onion, and sauté until tender.
Add bell peppers and garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes more.
Stir in chicken broth, both soups, diced tomatoes and green chilies, salt and spices.
Return the shredded chicken to the pan.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until mixture is heated through.
Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Spread about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the bottom of the pan to coat.
Layer with half of the tortilla strips.
Top with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers once (tortilla strips, chicken mixture, cheese).
Cover and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes.
Uncover and bake for and additional 5-10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I did a bit of research into the recipe’s origins and discovered that while there is a King Ranch in Texas, they don’t claim to have come up with the recipe. I do know that true King Ranch Chicken calls for corn tortillas, but I’m the only one in the family who likes them, so I use flour instead.

The original recipe also calls for 2 cans of diced tomatoes and green chilies. I find that one is plenty, but feel free to add another if you like a saucier casserole.