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A serving of creamy King Ranch Chicken Casserole with melted cheese, chicken, and peppers on a white plate.
Linda

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

The ultimate Texas comfort food - layers of tender chicken, corn tortillas, and creamy pepper-cheese sauce baked until bubbling and golden.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex
Calories: 485

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 4 cups cooked chicken shredded (rotisserie works great)
For the Sauce
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 10 oz Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles undrained
  • 10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup 1 can
  • 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup 1 can
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
For Assembly
  • 12 corn tortillas torn into pieces
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish
  • Large skillet
  • Medium saucepan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Shred the cooked chicken if not already done. Tear tortillas into roughly 2-inch pieces and set aside.
Make the Sauce
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it smells toasty and looks pale golden. Do not let it brown.
  2. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then add the Ro-Tel, both soups, chili powder, and cumin. Stir until smooth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
Assemble the Casserole
  1. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish. Add half the tortilla pieces, then half the chicken, 1 cup of cheddar, and half the remaining sauce. Repeat layers: tortillas, chicken, remaining sauce. Top with Monterey Jack and remaining 1 cup cheddar.
Bake
  1. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown at the edges. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Rotisserie chicken saves time and adds great flavor - just shred and go. For extra heat, use hot Ro-Tel or add a diced jalapeno to the sauce. This casserole freezes beautifully: assemble, cover tightly, and freeze unbaked for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F for about 1 hour, covered, then uncover to finish.