I made this tonight for the weekly back porch party. We are big fans of the original King Ranch Casserole (made with velveeta). This recipe wins hands down!!!!! I did however expand some parts of the recipe so it would feed at least 12 people. Instead of an 8x8x2 pan I used a 12x2-inch round cake pan. It required 2 more tortillas, 1/2 cup more sour cream and 1 more cup of cheese (I used sharp cheddar). I don't think the sour cream is suppose to "melt" into a sauce, it was more like a ricatta (sp, sorry!). The tomatillo sauce really makes the dish (I didn't use any green chiles or cilantro).
OK, this is definitely sounding like an epicurious review
Here's the recipe and I'll note my changes...
* Exported from MasterCook *
Southwest King Ranch Casserole
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Poultry
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Filling:
3 tablespoons canola oil (I used 1 tbs)
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (1/2 tsp)
3 cups shredded cooked boneless chicken (it was a 4.5 pound whole roasted chicken so I got about 4 cups)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted)
Casserole:
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (used 2 cups pepper jack)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (used 2 cups sharp cheddar)
2 cups bottled tomatillo sauce (used 3 cups salsa verde)
8 corn tortillas (used 10)
1 1/2 cups sour cream (used 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped green chilies, drained (omitted
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add
onions, and cook them until they are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Blend
in garlic, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Add chicken, and heat
through. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in cilantro.
In a small bowl, combine the cheeses.
On the bottom of an 8 x 8 1/2-inch pan (used a 12x2-inch round cake pan) at least 2 inches deep, spread 1
cup of the tomatillo sauce. Top with 4 tortillas, overlapping as
necessary. Spread half the sour cream evenly over the tortillas. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining tomatillo sauce, 1 1/2 cups of the chicken filling, 1 cup cheese mixture, and one half of the green chilies.
Top with 4 more tortillas, the remainder of the sour cream, tomatillo
sauce, and chicken filling, 1 cup of the cheese mixture, and the remaining green chilies. End with 1 cup cheese mixture sprinkled on top. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly on the surface. (Assembled early, refrigerated for 2 hours and baked for 35 minutes)
per serving: 410 cal, 28g pro, 16g carb, 26g fat, 85mg chol, 550mg sod. (Not the same but will have to wait to put it into MC)
Source:
"Whole Foods Market Cookbook"
Will have to say that this is a much better version of the recipe than the velveeta version, much more like a Mexican lasagne. No leftovers so that gets at least 24 thumbs up (there were some looking for seconds!).
