King Ranch Casserole

Well, here at the Little Kitchen, we are officially on a budget.  I mean sure this is nothing too new, but it's time to cook affordably without sacrificing delicious hearty meals.  This king ranch casserole has been a favorite of mine ever since my friend Megan shared the recipe in college.  It's great for a dinner party, but also makes wonderful leftovers so you can eat on it all week if you are just making it for two.  The mixture of chicken, mexican spices and melted cheese makes a delicious dish.  Enjoy!

King Ranch Casserole

Recipe Notes

This casserole can be refrigerated before cooking for a day or two or it can be frozen for up to a month.  To really save time, you can also use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it instead of cooking the chicken. Once the casserole is cooked, it is important to let it cool for at least 10 minutes so that all the ingredients can set.  For the cheddar cheese, mild or sharp will work, but I prefer sharp.

Ingredients

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 cups cooked chicken (click here for recipe)

1/2 cup butter

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can Rotel chopped tomatoes

1 clove of minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup chicken broth (1 can)

10 white or yellow corn tortillas

4-5 cups of grated cheddar cheese

Step by Step

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Saute onions in butter.

3.  Add soups, rotel, garlic and chili powder.

4.  Cut tortillas into quarters.  Place torn tortilla quarters in chicken broth for 10 minutes.

5.  Line the casserole dish with the torn tortillas.

6.  Fill dish with alternate layers of sauce, chicken, cheese and then torn tortillas.  You want two layers of each ingredient.

7.  Top with cheese.

8.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Take out of oven when cheese is bubbling and slightly browned.

9.  Allow to set by cooling for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.