King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I love a good casserole.  King Ranch Chicken Casserole is one of my favorites. My fascination with these heavenly concoctions started at an early age.  My parents often made casseroles to stretch our dollars when I was a kid.  If it was in the refrigerator, it was going in the dish. I have carried on the tradition and continue to make casseroles for my family. Although, I'm not quite as daring as my dad is with the ingredients.  I like to have a recipe from which to deviate. All the fixin's for this dish are pretty easy to come by and many are probably in your pantry.

Here's what you need:  3-4 skinless cooked chicken breasts, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, chili powder, garlic salt, diced tomatoes with green chiles, bell pepper, onion, corn tortillas, grated cheese

Here's how you make it:
Start by boiling the chicken breasts and cubing them, set aside.  Then combine the soups, tomatoes and spices in a bowl.

Saute your onions and peppers until soft and add to the soup mixture. Thin this mixture with your reserved broth from the boiled chicken.

Layer corn tortillas, cooked chicken, and soup mixture in a lightly greased pan.

Top with cheese and repeat the layers ending with cheese.

Place in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (boiled, then cubed) ~ save the broth.
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp. chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped onion
1 package corn tortillas (15 count), quartered
2 cups shredded cheese, like Colby Jack or Cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, blend soups, chili powder, garlic salt and tomatoes.  Saute green pepper and onion; add to soup mixture.  Thin mixture to desired consistency with reserved broth. In a lightly greased 13x9 pan, layer tortilla pieces along the bottom, then chicken, soup mixture and grated cheese. Repeat layers.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbly. Makes 6-8 servings.

As I said, I like to deviate from recipes.  For this one, I usually leave out the chili powder to cater to my family's tastes. I also like to divide the recipe into two smaller pans so that I can freeze one for later or give it to a friend. Serve it with a side of black beans and a green salad for a complete meal. Enjoy!

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