King Ranch Chicken Casserole

The last six weeks have been crazy here!

Plan on a few flash-back posts in the upcoming weeks. Here’s a wrap-up though of why I have been MIA for so long:

We moved twice…had all of our posterity, 27 total “home for Christmas,” except we were virtually homeless…took care of three of our grands who live 5 hours away for almost two weeks while their parents attended a wedding and enjoyed a much needed get away in Central America…and now we are trying to unpack and settle in!

Here’s a big shout-out to all of my bloggy friends and followers who have emailed me. I have missed you too, appreciated your encouragement, good wishes, and love. I’m back on-line again and looking forward to some playtime together again and catching up on your lives.

We are thrilled with our new home! We are living in the “banana-belt” of Idaho, our capital city…Boise! It’s such a joy to be close to children and grandchildren. We still have to travel to see three of our families, but they are closer. Snow blowing twice a day is becoming a distant memory for my guy, and I am wearing out my snow tires on dry pavement..yippy!

So we are in the month of extra love, and I am sending some out to you along with some extra cheese! Many of you may already have this one. My grandson, Jake couldn’t get enough of Sunset Magazine’s famous King Ranch Casserole.

It’s like a Mexican lasagna, easy to prepare ahead, bake and take or serve on a busy school night. My sombrero is off to all of you busy moms out there who are packing lunches, getting kids around, and tacking mounds of laundry. I had forgotten how much work all of it is . My guy and I kept shaking our heads, looking at each other and wondering where we got the energy…marveling at the fact that we raised 5 children. Yes we were back in the trenches again, checking homework, helping with projects, piano lessons and practice, scouts, trips to the vet and on and on! I think one of the secrets is getting dinner in the slow cooker or fridge by noon!

Anyway, back to this casserole. You’ll need to cook some chicken, mix up the sauce, shred the cheese, and grab some tortillas. Layer, layer, layer…

and now it is ready to cover and refrigerate or freeze…


Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, till the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Before you know it you will have a little fiesta going!  Ole to all and serve with lots of love!

 King Ranch Chicken Casserole

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
  • 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
Saute onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.  Cut tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

Note: You may freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

It’s always so nice to have you here.  Thanks for stopping by!

About The Author

Renée

Renée is passionate about making and sharing ALL things delicious! Her happy place really is her kitchen where she loves whipping up memories with her family and friends. Raised in sunny Southern California she's spent her adulthood in Idaho, both sides of her great state. She's married to an amazing man, and together they have 5 children, who gave them five more, and now they have 28 grandchildren. So there’s always a reason to cook and celebrate around their place!

20 Comments

  1. Pondside

    That sounds wonderful- there’s nothing I like more than a casserole that can stretch to feed the drop-ins! Your life has certainly been upside-down recently – but then so has mine and we’ve both seemed to have survived. I look forward to reading more posts as you settle back into your new place and your normal life.

    Reply
  2. LouAnne

    King Ranch Casserole is one of my all time favorite hurt-yourself-if-not-careful kinda foods! I haven’t cooked it in a while and you’ve inspired me to put it on this weeks menu! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Brandi

    Oh how I’ve missed your posts Gnee! I even checked my blog roll to make sure you were still there. So happy things are getting back to “normal” for you and you are closer to your family. Can’t wait to try this recipe. I believe I have all the necessary ingredients. Thanks for sharing! I’m really glad your back!! : )

    Reply
  4. Happier Than a Pig in Mud

    So good to see a post from you Gnee! You’ve been in my thoughts! Glad to hear that you’re all settled now and look forward to hearing more from you soon:@)
    PS-If your hubby doesn’t need the snow blower any more, could he send it to me???

    Reply
  5. tt.scraps

    Looks delish! Glad to hear you are doing well and loving your new place! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Julie Harward

    I have missed you! I am so glad you are back and that you are all moved in and getting settled. It;s amazing what you have accomplished in these last few weeks! Love the recipe too, will be making it for sure! 😀

    Reply
  7. LDH

    So good to hear from you! Happy you are getting all settled!

    Reply
  8. Julie

    I’ve missed your posts! Welcome back and glad you are getting settled. This looks delicious. I will be trying sometime soon!

    Reply
  9. Sushi-Mama

    Yay- you’re back! Thanks for all the yummy recipes.

    Reply
  10. SavoringTime in the Kitchen

    How wonderful you are close to family. There’s nothing better. This looks like a wonderful family dish and I’m sure my grandson will enjoy it when he gets a little older.

    Reply
  11. Jacqueline

    It was sooooo great to hear from you! I am glad you got settled (or are getting settled in!). My husband’s parents live in Boise, it really is nice there. Can’t wait to try this one out, we would all love this from littlest to oldest.

    Reply
  12. Debbie

    I am home and sooooo excited to see this. I just noticed that you had posted not once, but twice while I’ve been on my tagalong adventure.

    WELCOME BACK!! We did miss you and waited expectantly for things to settle down so you could Sing With The Birds again.

    This dish, as usual, looks delicious. That man of mine would love it.

    Reply
  13. Wani

    YUM!!! I love almost anything “mexican” and this is no exception! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  14. MrsJenB

    Wow – you’ve been busy!!

    We love Mexican food around here and this looks delicious! Never thought of a Mexican “lasagna” before! 🙂

    Visiting from HoH

    Reply
  15. La

    Welcome back! This recipe sounds wonderful. Have a great week! La

    Reply
  16. Garden of Egan

    I just ran into your blog and I think I might be in heaven!!!! Yummy looking casserole!
    I’m off to snoop some more.

    Reply
  17. Garden of Egan

    OK I’ve put 2 and 2 together!
    I know you and love you!!!!!
    However, I’m a little bitter that you aren’t here to “enjoy” the weather with me.
    {sniffle}

    Ya, we’ve done the weeklong babysitting thing for the grandkids and I can’t do it alone! I have to have HELP!
    I don’t know how we raised 5 kids either.

    Uh, do you have a house nearby? I’m ready for some banana belt.

    Reply
  18. raggygirlvintage

    You had me at mexican! Looks yum and great for one of those busy evenings, I’ll try it for sure!
    Tracey

    Reply
  19. ERIC, JANA, MADDIE

    I just made this and it was DELISH. Thank You for sharing, I also made your aprocot chicken last week and loved it too!!!

    Reply

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Welcome to CK!

We're Alison and Renée, and we're so glad you've joined us! Our kitchens are our happy place, where we're whipping up memories. Get comfy and check things out. We hope you find inspiring dishes and ways to better your life. Feeling optimistic, trying new things and sharing with those we love brings joy in all we do. It's time to cook, create and celebrate. CHEERS! Read More…

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