Wednesday, May 25, 2011

HEALTH(IER) KING RANCH CHICKEN

Per a recent request for make-ahead casseroles for a crowd, here is a recipe for King Ranch Chicken.  This is a traditional Tex-Mex favorite--think "Enchilada Casserole".  The recipe is typically loaded with cheese and canned cream soups; this recipe is "cleaned up" yet retains the original, delicious Tex-Mex flavor.  I think it's even better without the canned soups!
This makes a 9x13 casserole, which will serve 6-10 people, depending on the size of the servings.  Great accompanied by a fresh spinach salad, fresh fruit salad, and/or raw veggies. 

10 corn tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 tbls olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1 medium red or green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes 
1 half or full [4 oz] can diced green chilies, to taste
(If you like a lot of heat, you can substitute two (10 oz) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes for the fire-roasted tomatoes & green chilies. Or, if tomatoes are in season, you can use two cups of diced fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup diced green chilies)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup salsa (mild or medium, to taste)

  *NOTE: If you use Ro-Tel tomatoes, you may omit the salsa
11/2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 11/2 lbs), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2" strips
2 tbls chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (blend of Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla & Asadero cheeses) or CoJack cheese, divided

Nonfat sour cream and additional cilantro for garnish, optional


Adjust oven rack to upper-middle & lower-middle positions.  Preheat oven to 450°.  Spray corn tortillas lightly with nonstick cooking spray and place on 2 baking sheets.  Bake until slightly crisp and lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes, turning once halfway through baking.  Watch carefully during the last few minutes of cooking to make sure tortillas do not burn.  Cool, then break into bite-size pieces.  Reposition an oven rack to middle position.  Dish will later be cooked at 450°, but it will take approximately 30 minutes to prepare ingredients, so you may wish to turn oven off at this point.
  
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmery.  Add onion and red or green pepper.  Cook 1 minute.  Add cumin & stir well.  Cook 6 minutes more.  Stir in garlic & cook 1 additional minute.  Add tomatoes and green chilies, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.  Stir in flour, and cook 1-2 minutes, until flour has been absorbed into mixture and is no longer visible.  Mixture should be thick, almost gummy, at this point.  Add milk, salsa, and chicken broth, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat, and simmer and stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken, and cook about 4 minutes (stirring occasionally), until chicken is cooked through.  Remove from heat & add cilantro, black pepper, and 3/4 cup of the cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted. 

Preheat oven to 450°.  Scatter half of tortilla pieces in a 13x9" baking dish.  Spoon half of filling evenly over tortillas.  Scatter remaining tortilla pieces over filling; top with remaining filling. 

*NOTE:  At this point, casserole may be cooled slightly, covered tightly with foil, and refrigerated for 1 day.

Place casserole dish on top of a baking sheet, in case it bubbles over.  Cover with foil, and bake at 450° until filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.  Remove foil.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese evenly over casserole, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered, until cheese is melted.  Cool casserole 10 minutes.  Garnish servings with a dollop of nonfat sour cream and additional cilantro, if desired, and serve.

*NOTE:  Freezes well after cooking.  To freeze, allow casserole to cool 20-30 minutes. Cover with foil, and place entire casserole in freezer for about 2-3 hours, or until firm and just beginning to freeze but still easy to pierce with a knife.  Cut into desired portion sizes, wrap each portion individually, and place into freezer bags to freeze completely.  When ready to cook, thaw portions completely in refrigerator for about 24 hours.  Unwrap and reheat, covered, in oven (or microwave) until heated through.