King Ranch Chicken

I’ve always heard of this dish and actually eaten it a few times, but never made it.  I don’t know where the name comes from – I’m assuming it’s named after the famous ranch in Texas?  Anyway, it’s yummy and a slow cooker recipe which is always wonderful this time of year.  Recipe from Southern Living Magazine (although I know there are a million versions out there).

Ingredients:

-4 cups chopped cooked chicken

-1 large onion, chopped

-1 large green bell pepper, chopped (optional)

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-1 can cream of mushroom soup (we don’t like mushrooms so I used cream of celery soup)

-1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (i.e. Rotel)

-1 garlic clove, minced (I substituted a little garlic powder instead)

-1 tsp chili powder

-12 (6 inch) fajita-size corn tortillas

-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.  Stir together first 8 ingredients.  Tear tortillas into 1 inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in a lightly greased slow cooker.  Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese.  Repeat layers twice.

2.  Cover and cook on low 3.5 hours or until bubbly and edges are golden brown.  Uncover and cook on low 30 minutes (removing the lid during the last 30 minutes gives the casserole an oven-baked flavor and texture.