Can't believe we've lived in the Southwest for 10 years and this is my first attempt at a King Ranch Casserole. It certainly isn't that I haven't wanted to try it before now. I mean really, it's got everything in it that we love including lots of ooey gooey goodness.
I took my inspiration from a "light" version via myrecipes.com but added a few more calories - hey, heaven forbid anything should be too light around here and while I know there's scratch versions out there like the one at Homesick Texan, since JBug's Kitchen is all about every day cooking, I went ahead and used a couple of Campbell's products in the form of fat free cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom too. I'm sure I'll hear from you "gourmand's" out there who take issue with using convenience foods, but so be it.
I threw in extra garlic powder, a touch of cumin and some of our favorite chipotle chile powder as well as just a touch of sour cream and a little chicken stock too. Good thing the sour cream was in it because Big Guy picked up Rotel with Habenero peppers in it for a little extra kick. Just can't trust him can I?
As for the chicken, I raided the freezer for the rest of the bird we roasted a few weeks ago which means we enjoyed 3 totally different meals plus leftovers from that one little bird. Not bad, eh? Oh, in case you're wondering whether we liked the casserole - heck yes. What's not to like? Rich creamy flavorful soul satisifying good grub that's a cross between chicken enchiladas and chilequilas... no way you can go wrong with that!
Lighter King Ranch Chicken Casserole (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from myrecipes.com)
1 large onion, chopped
5 assorted mini sweet peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 – 10 ounce can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 – 10 ounce can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 – 10 ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with habanero peppers
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 -1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10 – 6 inch corn tortillas cut into quarters
2 cups chopped leftover roasted chicken
4 ounce grated Pepper Jack cheese (or Monterey Jack)
2 ounce grated sharp cheddar
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole with cooking spray and set aside.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together undiluted cream soups, tomatoes, chicken stock, sour cream, pepper, garlic, chile powder and cumin until well mixed. Pour a third of the mixture onto the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with one third of the tortilla pieces, followed by half the chicken, half of the onion pepper mixture and a third of the cheese. Add a third of the sauce and repeat layers, ending in sauce and cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until the casserole is bubbling. Serves 6 to 8.
A year ago - New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp
Two year's ago - Magic Banana Caramel Pudding
Yum! That works for me - minus the Rotel - of course - but hey - all good! It sure is pretty!
Posted by: Lea | 10/30/2012 at 09:49 AM
Thanks Lea - sure don't know how we missed taking pictures of our servings but we did. Too busy anticipating I guess. LOL
Posted by: June | 10/30/2012 at 10:04 AM
I have never heard of King Ranch Chicken Casserole before but I am going to fix that for sure. Don't worry about using the canned stuff. That is what it is there for!
Posted by: Lorraine | 11/03/2012 at 10:19 AM
Lorraine - it's a really popular casserole in a lot of the regional Southern cookbooks I have in my library, although most of them have a lot more sour cream and cheese in 'em. It is delicious and leftovers freeze and reheat in the microwaves really well.
Posted by: June | 11/03/2012 at 01:17 PM