Princess Cooks...for reals ya'll!

Princess is an excellent cook. No seriously! Have ya'll seen pictures of the Prince? He didn't get that Atlas body from TV dinners and Lean Cuisines. He got it from good old home cookin'. His momma gave him a good head start. The Prince comes from a loooong line of good cooks, so it's no wonder he picked me for my mom's cooking.

Today I am hooking up with Think Tank Momma's Share a Spoon for a little recipe sharing. The theme this week is casseroles. What self respecting southerner doesn't have a trunk full of casserole recipes? She asked specifically for Mexican entries. Being the people pleaser agreeable person I am, I was happy to oblige.

I was first introduced to this casserole by my beloved sister-in-law in Texas who served it at a baby shower she threw us. Pssshhhhhhttt....ya'll know how a pregnant woman likes to eat, right? It was yummmmay!

This particular recipe is the version from Southern Living has been passed down for generations in the Prince's family. It's easy peasy and the kids love it too!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

1 (2 lb) whole chicken from the deli (or cook your own if you are a show off)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 (10 oz) cans of Rotel tomatoes & green chilies, drained
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Mexican style chili powder (or 1 tsp chili powder and 1/8 tsp ground red pepper)
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups coarsely crushed lime flavored Tostitos


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute 6 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add bell pepper and garlic, and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup and next five ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes.

Skin and bone chicken, shred meat into bite size pieces. Layer half of chicken in a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with half of the soup mixture and 1 cup cheddar cheese. cover with half of corn chips. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I'm not a huge fan of leftovers so sometimes I put the recipe in two 8 x 8 dishes and freeze one. That works well for all those busy days I don't have time to make a decent meal. I just pop one out of the freezer for those times. I freezes super well!

If you want to reduce the taste fat content, do all that switching around with that reduced fat soup and cheese junk. I'd prefer to just cut my portions and get the full flavor. But to each his own....