The King Ranch casserole, a comfort food made with cheesy chicken and tortillas, “might be the most famous casserole in Texas,” said Diane Unger in Cook’s Country. Everyone from Junior Leaguers to home cooks enjoys this subtly spicy dish, though ironically the owners of King Ranch, “the state’s largest cattle operation,” claim they had nothing to do with its creation. This can be a tricky dish to get right—soggy tortillas, overcooked chicken, and a bland sauce are the usual pitfalls. We top our version of the Texas classic with Fritos corn chips to provide “just the right amount of saltiness, corn flavor, and crunch.”
Recipe of the week
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If Ro-Tel tomatoes—a blend of tomatoes, green chilies, and spices—are not available, substitute one 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes and one 4-oz can chopped green chilies. Cojack is a creamy blend of Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. Milder Jack cheese can be used in its place.
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 jalapeño chilies, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 (10-oz) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
4 cups Cojack cheese
Salt and pepper
2-1/4 cups Fritos, crushed
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven
to 450 degrees. Lay tortillas on two baking sheets, lightly coat both sides
with cooking spray, and bake until slightly crisp and browned, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then break into bite-size pieces. Using potholders, adjust top oven rack to middle position.
Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onions, chilies, and cumin until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add cream and broth, bring to simmer, and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Off heat, add cilantro and cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
Scatter half of tortilla pieces in 13-by-9-inch baking dish set over rimmed baking sheet. Spoon half of filling evenly over tortillas. Scatter remaining tortillas over filling, then top with remaining filling.
Bake until filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle Fritos evenly over top and bake until Fritos are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool casserole 10 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
