King Ranch Chicken Casserole (no can soup)
This King Ranch Chicken Casserole skips the canned soup and is made completely from scratch with fresh ingredients.
Servings 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 bell peppers diced, 1 red, 1 green
- ½ large yellow onion diced
- 2 cups finely diced baby Bella mushrooms
- 1 jalapeño diced and seeded, keep half the seeds for spice
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 2 pounds chicken breast diced into small ½” pieces
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel drained
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles drained
- ½ cup whole sour cream
- 10 corn tortillas halved and sliced into ½-inch strips
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, jalapeño, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and all excess liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F), about 8–10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and stir to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes to cook the flour.
- Slowly stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer until thickened into a gravy, about 3–5 minutes.
- Stir in the Ro-Tel, diced green chiles, and sour cream until well combined.
- Pour the chicken mixture into the casserole dish with the vegetables. Add the tortilla strips and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Gently mix everything together, then spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese evenly on top.
- Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
- Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Make it creamier: Stir in an additional ¼ cup of sour cream if you prefer a richer, creamier filling.
Spice it up: Leave in all the jalapeño seeds, add ½ teaspoon of cayenne or chipotle powder for even more heat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g
