King Ranch Casserole Recipe
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Category: |
Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For the Salsa Verde:
8 medium tomatillos (or 6 large), peeled and rinsed
3 large poblano peppers, or 4 medium
1 white onion, quartered and peeled
6 large cloves garlic, trimmed of root ends but left in skins
2 limes
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin , or ⅓ palmful
1 teaspoon light agave, or small drizzle of mild honey
½ cup cilantro , or a handful of leaves
For the Ranchero Cream:
2 cups Mexican crema or sour cream
½ cup cilantro, or a handful
2 cloves pasted garlic
1 cup finely grated Cotija cheese
¼ cup chopped chives
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 lime, juiced
To assemble:
1 rotisserie chicken, remove skin and bones and pull meat into small bite-sized pieces
18 soft corn tortillas
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend , or Jack and cheddar cheeses combined
One 14-ounce can or 2 small cans green chilies, well drained
Mild or hot pickled jalapeño pepper rings and chopped scallions, to serve
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Directions: |
Directions:For the salsa verde, line a small tray with foil and arrange tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic and place rack 1 rung above center.
Broil the ingredients to char evenly, cool to handle, peel and stem the peppers.
Remove garlic from skins. Place ingredients and juices in food processor and add juice of 2 limes, salt and pepper, cumin, agave, and cilantro, then process. Transfer to a mixing bowl and rinse processor, dry and return to base.
For the ranchero cream, combine all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until smooth.
To assemble, preheat oven to 375˚F.
Char the tortillas over an open flame or in dry cast-iron or stainless steel pan over high heat until blistered, then tear or coarsely chop.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, salsa and Ranchero cream.
Place ⅓ of the chicken in a 9x13 casserole and top with ⅓ of the tortillas and then ⅓ of the cheese and ⅓ of the chilies.
Repeat layers two more times and bake casserole until the top is brown and bubbly.
Top with pickled mild or hot jalapeño peppers and scallions and serve. |
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Number Of
Servings: |
Number Of
Servings:6 |
Preparation
Time: |
Preparation
Time:20 minutes to prep. 30-40 minutes baking time. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Aunt Resta from Houston introduced us to King Ranch casserole when she and Uncle Clair came to visit one summer. Their travel trailer was parked in the driveway. I was so impressed with it and the fact that they drove in from Texas. They were relatives on my Dad's side. Today, their daughter, Ellen, still stays in touch and is an avid collector of family history. Originally, this recipe was made with Doritos and Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. In the 60's that was very cool.
Rachel Ray makes hers from scratch to reduce the amount of sodium and to make it lighter, which is always preferable. There is a bit more work involved, but it is worth it. If you can't find tomatillos, no worries, just used jarred Salsa Verde. You'll likely need 2 big jars. Buy a good brand to maximize flavor. I have tried some of the jarred ones from Aldis and found them to be unimpressive. Go for the good stuff or buy it from a local Mexican restaurant.
Assembly is easy. It's like Mexican lasagna. This is a great dish for potluck dinners or an autumn dinner. You can also serve it up in the summer with margaritas and a little salad. Keep dessert light, so you aren't overlaoded with food. Hasta la vista!
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