King Ranch casserole is by far one of my favorite comfort foods, but I rarely prepare it because all the recipes in my cookbooks for it are filled with so many processed ingredients and an excessive amount of fat. I decided to do some experimenting in the kitchen and here is my attempt at the healthiest King Ranch possible. This recipe probably has about a tenth of the calories of a normal King Ranch Casserole but is just as delicious….I swear! Here is what makes this casserole so much healthier than your typical KR casserole
- It has NONE of those super processed cream of “whatever” soups
- It is loaded up with non-starchy vegetables
- There are only 2 layers to this casserole so that cuts way back on the amount of cheese and tortillas you need to use
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded chicken – I used the chicken breast from a Rotisserie chicken from Central Market
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 3 jalapeno peppers, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 – 10 oz can Rotel
- ¾ cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons Ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 oz shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 8 corn tortillas, each cut into 4 pieces
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Shred the chicken. If you are not using a pre cooked Rotisserie chicken you can use about 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper or Cavender’s Greek seasoning. Cook chicken until completely done. Here is a “how to” on making perfect + juicy chicken breasts on the stovetop via my friends at Chowhound http://www.chowhound.com/food-news/55474/the-basics-how-to-make-seared-chicken-breast/
- Heat the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan (high sided). Once butter is melted add the peppers and onions. Sauté until vegetables are soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 more minutes
- Add the flour and coat the vegetables with the flour
- Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, Rotel and half and half. Stir well and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes
- Add the chicken to the vegetable mixture and stir well. Add the remaining cup of chicken broth. Add the chili powder, ground cumin and Cayenne pepper. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary
- To assemble casserole. Spoon about 1/3 of the vegetable and chicken mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish. Next cover mixture with 1/3 the shredded cheese. Cover these layers with ½ the tortilla pieces. Repeat making a second layer. Finish by sprinkling the remaining shredded cheese on top of the casserole (chicken/veggie mixture, cheese, tortillas, chicken veggie mixture, cheese, tortillas, cheese)
- Bake for about 30 minutes. Until golden brown and bubbling
