if you follow this blog, you may full well know i’m from texas.
there is plenty of proof that texans are a proud people. we are the home of the alamo, gun-slinging cowboys, fields of bluebonnets, big & bright stars, lyle lovett, delicious barbecue, texas longhorns, and king ranch casserole.
i’m not quite sure this casserole was frequently served to the kiñenos on the king ranch, but this famous dish has claimed the name. this one is also a favorite in our family. my dad loves it. my sister served this to her husband on one of their first dates, though forgot to cook the chicken first (bad idea, but good story for the kids). as a young dietetic intern, this was the dish we served to the entire emory university hospital cafeteria when julie staley and i were in charge of food service for the day (good times).
the original version is full of “cream of” soups. totally not gluten-free, nor are they any good for you. i’ve been wanting to take this one on for a long time, and i’m so glad i finally did.
a taste of texas… gluten-free. my dad even approved.
(to all of you non-texans, thank you for humoring me by reading this post. i know texas pride can feel like a club you’re not a part of. though to quote lyle: “that’s right you’re not from texas, but texas wants you anyway.”)
we've got the alamo and cowboys and even lone stars, but this king ranch casserole is the true #gf taste of #texas Click To Tweet
King Ranch Casserole
Servings 8 -12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons kumquat's all-purpose flour or other gluten-free flour
- 2 cups gluten-free chicken broth
- 1 can chopped tomatoes drained
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 pound chicken cooked and chopped or shredded
- 16 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
- 12 corn tortillas cut into 1/2-inch strips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cook onion in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until soft. Sprinkle with flour and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until beginning to brown. Add broth and stir; bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Stir in tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and chicken. Remove from heat; stir in 12 ounces of cheese and tortillas strips.
- Pour mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil; bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese on top is nicely browned. Allow to cool just a bit before serving. (serve with additional sour cream, salsa and/or cilantro, if desired.)
