King Ranch Casserole
Servings 8 people
Equipment
- casserole dish
- chef knife
- cutting board
- rubber spatula or large kitchen spoon
- can opener
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1½ lb chicken, cooked boneless/skinless diced white, dark or combination of both
- 1 whole onion (white or yellow), peeled, cored and diced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 10oz can RoTel tomato and chilies with juice (substitute with 2 diced tomato and chilies or jarred salsa)
- 1 10.5oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup
- 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated split into 2 portions
- ½ cup sour cream or Mexican crema (Plus more for serving on the side)
- 2 cups corn tortilla, fresh cut into strips or leftover fried corn tortilla chips (Flour tortillas work as well)
Instructions
- Cook chicken breast, thighs or a boneless/skinless combination with salt and pepper. Chop the chicken into medium sized chunks.
- Prepare casserole dish with non stick cooking oil.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C
- Peel and core an onion and cut into small dice. Reserve.
- Clean and rough chop the cilantro. Reserve.
If using canned tomatoes and chilies skip the next two steps (You can also use jarred salsa or pico de gallo).
- Prep the chilies. If using the fresh option, preferably roast, skin and seed them. Chop into a small dice. Reserve.
- Prep the tomato if using the fresh option, slice and dice. Reserve.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the onion, cilantro (optional), RoTel Tomato/Salsa, ½ of sharp cheddar cheese (about ¾ cup), Cream of Mushroom Soup, Cream of Chicken and Sour Cream. With a large spatula or spoon, mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Cut cooked chicken into bite sized cubes and add to the King Ranch mix. Mix thoroughly.
- If using fresh tortillas, cut into thin strips or squares. If using fried tortilla chips, crush them slightly and add to the King Ranch Chicken mix. Mix thoroughly.
- Using a pre-oiled casserole dish, add the King Ranch Chicken mix. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350°F/175°C for 40 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven. It should be bubbling away or have an internal temperature of 155°F/68°C. Remove the aluminum foil and add the second half of the sharp cheddar cheese. Return the casserole to the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and allow to rest for 8 minutes before serving.