KING RANCH CHICKEN

 King Ranch Chicken

 Hands-on Time Total Time 1 Hour 1 Hour 35

Mins

Yield Makes 12 servings

Hailing from an era when casseroles were king, this Tex-Mex dish still reigns supreme at church suppers and neighborhood potlucks. Though not an invention of the famed King Ranch--it's more likely the creation of a ladies' Junior League--the spicy flavors of chili powder, roasted peppers, and toasted cumin never fail to please.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

How to Make It

Step 1 Preheat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Stir in garlic, chili powder,

cumin, salt, and black

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 1 cup chopped poblano peppers (about 2 medium peppers)

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup all- purpose flour

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 pounds coarsely chopped smoked chicken (about 5 cups)

pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.

Step 2 Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in broth, and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes and sour cream.

Step 3 Stir together chicken and cilantro in a large bowl; stir in vegetable mixture. Combine both cheeses in a small bowl.

Step 4 Heat a large cast- iron skillet over high heat. Lightly brush each tortilla on both sides with oil. Cook tortillas, in batches, in hot skillet 1 to 2 minutes each side or until lightly browned and crisp on both sides.

           Step 5

lightly greased (with cooking spray) 13- x 9-

Line bottom of a

 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

18 (8-inch) soft taco-size corn tortillas

1/4 cup canola oil

Vegetable cooking spray

inch baking dish with 6 tortillas, overlapping slightly, to cover bottom of dish. Top with half of chicken mixture and one- third of cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining tortillas and cheese. Lightly coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover baking dish.

Step 6 Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.