As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a Texan from way back and grew up on Tex-Mex food before it became the popular cuisine it is today.
Tacos were a family dinner favorite, and Mom would order cheese enchiladas any chance she could. But King Ranch casserole was always reserved for special occasions.
When I looked up the recipe to prepare for this blog entry, I was surprised it wasn’t more complicated. I mean, special occasion recipes usually take more time than everyday favorites. I wonder if that is because we have supermarket convenience that didn’t exist in the early 70s.
For example, I used a $4.99 rotisserie chicken rather than boiling my own, as the recipe calls for. Not only is it easier, but I think it adds more flavor.
Or perhaps the 9×13 dish was too much food for our family of four, especially when Dad traveled about 70% of the time.
In any case… this dish is really a Coleman Family Recipe, but one I remember fondly.
Ingredients:
- 12 corn tortillas, soaked in chicken broth
- 1 large fryer, boiled and boned (I used rotisserie chicken)
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 1 pound grated cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Garlic powder to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
Directions:
- Grease 9×13 pan with butter (I used PAM)
- Cut corn tortillas in fourths and layer on bottom of greased pan
- Chop chicken, mix with bell peppers, and spread over tortillas
- Add remaining ingredients in the order listed (I mixed the soups, seasoning and tomatoes in a small bowl and poured over top)
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes
(I had hoped to post this for Cinco de Mayo, but life got in the way. Consequently, I did not upload the photo before deleting it off the camera. Just imagine bubbling cheesy goodness on a plate).
This post is a part of BethFishReads’ Weekend Cooking link-up. For more delicious recipes, please visit this weekly blog feature.
I’m afraid I’m a camera photo backup freak!!
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I am too… this one just wasn’t particularly high on my priority list 😉
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I don’t think I’ve ever had King Ranch casserole but it sounds delicious! I love the idea of getting a rotisserie chicken rather than messing with a whole raw bird. That sounds like a good step to skip. I always like making recipes that I thought of as special when I was a kid. It’s always interesting to see why it was deemed special and brings up lots of good memories!
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I will definitely make this recipe more often than Mom did. It is easy, delicious, and provides great leftovers 🙂
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So does the cheese go in the soup mixture?
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It could… I just put it on top. But I like that suggestion 🙂 Mom’s directions were literally “in the order given” so I think it is wide open to interpretation.
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This does sound really good. I’ve saved it to fix soon, though will have to buy cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Did your family use the canned soups?
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Yes, she did… and so did I. I would like to try an alternate method though. If you choose to modify, let me know how it goes 🙂
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I can imagine it just fine. Have a great week. Cheers from Carole’s Chatter
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This sounds like an excellent choice for supper tonight !
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It is really yummy!
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We had chicken enchiladas tonight at Two Lizards and it was delicious.
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It is always a toss-up whether we go out for Mexican or Italian in my house 🙂
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Thanks for sharing this family recipe. It sounds like great comfort food :).
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It is great comfort food! Perhaps a little heavy for these summer months, but great fare for fall 🙂
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My son would love this casserole!
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Glad to hear that, Tina!
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This sounds like a classic family recipe! And I like the idea of buying a rotisserie chicken. We too are heavy on Mexican and Italian. Sorry I was late getting here this week — we were out of town.
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It’s hard to go wrong with Mexican and Italian, isn’t it?
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This sounds so yummy and I could definitely picture it in my mind. I want to make this soon.
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Let me know how you like it, Vicki!
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