Lightened Up King Ranch Chicken Casserole

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Alright y’all, my authentic self is a Texan who loves casseroles. Of course, I’m the hippie Californian, too but they really don’t embrace the casserole lover that lies in these bones of mine. Hmmm or, it could be the Ohio side my family reigns from. Who knows! Nevertheless this American mutt loves casseroles. So much so that I recently wrote this piece for Taste of Home magazine on how to lighten up casseroles. Because, let’s be real–I am a dietitian, y’all. I can’t help but clean up some of the unnecessary ingredients that lurk in those decadent one-pan meals.

Tonight I whipped up one of my favorites, King Ranch Chicken Casserole. The King Ranch down in Texas is notorious for this recipe, and while I could spend my time sharing all the historical side of the story, that is not what I’m about! Ha, really because I don’t like reading long blog posts myself, so I try to spare y’all the same. For those interested, check out this blog post, but let’s skip this version of the recipe since it boasts condensed soups (oh no, no, no, no, no!)

Okay, so here’s the scoop–>I used Greek yogurt (trust me when I say y’all won’t be able to tell), I add in more veggies (because why the heck not), and I make a roux instead of those condensed canned things (LIFE CHANGING).

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Wendy Jo’s Cleaned Up King Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:

·       1/4 cup unsalted butter

·       1 onion, chopped small

·       1 red bell pepper, chopped

·       1 large jalapeño, seeds removed and chopped tiny

·       1 carrot, grated

·       3 cloves garlic, chopped

·       2 teaspoons each chili powder, cumin, and oregano

·       1/2 cup frozen peas

·       1/4 cup all purpose flour

·       1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

·       1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (tomatoes with green chilis)

·       1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

·       3 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie or previously cooked chicken works wonderful–great carry over meal!)

·       1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese or Cheddar, divided

·       1 cup chopped cilantro (of course, ditch it if you hate it ha!), divided

·       4 corn tortillas

·       1 cup crushed tortilla chips (you know, when your bag is crumbs at the bottom…time to make this recipe!

Directions:

1.            Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Next add bell peppers, jalapeno, and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and black pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in peas and cook for 1 minute.

2.            Sprinkle flour over the veggies and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Then stir in chicken stock and you will see it be a thickened slurry–don’t fret, you’re adding in more! Add in the Ro-tel tomatoes and cook this for 5 minutes.

3.            Next, turn off the heat and stir in Greek yogurt, chicken, and 1/2 the cheese. 

4.            In a 9×9 pan spread 1/2 the chicken mixture onto the bottom, cover with corn tortillas and sprinkle with 1/2 the cilantro. Top the tortillas with the remaining chicken mixture. Top this with the crushed tortillas and then with the remaining cheese. 

5.            Bake this for 20-25 minutes, then top with remaining cilantro and serve.

6.            Storage tips: This is my go-to freezer dish that I make for new moms or when folks need a meal. Freeze up to 3 months. From the freezer you want to bake this at 325 for 1 hour or until completely cooked on the inside (heated to 165 degrees internal temps).

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Do you see how I served this casserole? Yep, 1/2 my plate are greens! Seriously y’all, casseroles can fit into your meal plans, BUT, you need to make sure your plate is balanced. Try this recipe for shaved zucchini carpaccio or my turmeric salad!

Okay, who’s making this??? Tell me about your additions or changes!

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