Monday, May 19, 2014

RANCH CHICKEN CASSEROLE


  • 1 1/2 lb. of chicken, without skin and bones
  • 4 tsp. of lime juice
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp. of butter
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1 10 oz. can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained (or you can use a can of regular diced tomatoes and a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles)
  • 4 tsp. ancho chile powder (or chili powder)
  • 1 tsp. of cumin
  • 1 cup of chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp. of flour
  • 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper (opt.)
  • 1/2 cup of half and half
  • 1/3 cup of sour cream
  • 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
  • 3 cups of grated pepper jack and cheddar
  • 10 corn tortillas
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Season the chicken with the lime juice, 2 tsp. chili powder and a dash of salt.
  2. In a skillet heated on medium, cook the chicken in the olive oil on each side for about 10 minutes. When chicken is done (after about 20 minutes), shred it with two forks and set aside.
  3. Taste and see if it needs more salt and pepper. Should yield about 3 cups.
  4. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper and poblano pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and 2 tsp. of chili powder, and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the chicken broth and cook on low until mixture is thickened, a few minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover the pot, and add the sour cream, 2 tsp. of lime juice and 1/4 cup of cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Turn off heat. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat up the tortillas (you can do this by adding a bit of oil on an iron skillet and then cooking the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side). Ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan.
  7. Layer half the tortillas along the bottom of the pan (on top of the sauce). To make sure entire pan is evenly covered, you can rip some of the tortillas into strips to fill any gaps. Add half the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese. Repeat the layering, leaving the cheese layer on top. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling.
  8. Serve with additional sour cream.
                                                - Tricia