If You're Gonna Eat in Texas... King Ranch Casserole

Part of initiating my family to their new lives in Texas includes the culinary aspect of the Lone Star State. This has included a week-long stint at Taco Cabana (until we found our favorite taco stand, mind you), a few chicken sandwiches at the original chicken sandwich joint (you know, the one with the clever cows), and Whataburger. I never said I had super fancy tastes...and eight years in the wilds of Alaska with no Whataburger or Taco Cabana can do a number of awful things to your tastebuds.

King Ranch Chicken

Another aspect of this initiation includes Texas favorites we can make at home. Including King Ranch Chicken. I never had it growing up in El Paso, but once I hit college, I was lucky enough to eat it pretty regularly when I'd go home with friends and visit their families for the weekend. This dish was everywhere. And now it's in my house.

Amazing, really, because I'm not the biggest fan of that jellied, gelatinous goop we like to call Cream of Mushroom soup. It's really just an excuse to dump fat and salt in our food...but it's so good in this recipe.

The casserole went over successfully last night...kind of like a mild, deconstructed enchilada. Without the enchilada sauce of course, and with a lot of cream of salt soups. Ha!

Texas King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the green pepper and onion. Cook until softened, about three minutes. Add soups, tomatoes, and chicken and simmer for about five more minutes. Remove from heat.

Spread a layer tortilla pieces along the bottom of a greased 9X13" casserole dish. Top with a layer of the chicken and soup mixture, followed by cheese. Repeat for three layers. Bake for 45 minutes.