Put a spin on the classic dinner dish with this Lightened up King Ranch Casserole! Layers of corn tortillas, bell peppers and onions, cheese, and a creamy chicken filling make this an easy dinner with leftovers!
I’ve noticed more and more that the recipes that y’all love the ones are the ones suited for real life.
That means no exotic mushrooms from a garden tended by unicorns.
No special ingredients that you can only find at xyz store.
Sometimes it means a can of Rotel or frozen vegetables to help you get dinner on the table after a long day.
I so hear that! I’m working to bring y’all more recipes for real life (as I like to call them) starting with this lightened up king ranch casserole.
How To Make Lightened Up King Ranch Casserole
Traditional King Ranch Casserole recipes call for two cans of condensed cream of mushroom/chicken soup. And a boat load of cheese.
Believe me, there’s still cheese in this.
It’s just more of a canoe load of cheese and not a boat load.
Of course, you’re always allowed to add as much or as little cheese as you’d like! But just know the one cup of cheese in this recipe made my husband a happy camper. In fact, I made this recipe for him before leaving out of town for a weekend and he ate it for lunch, dinner, and then lunch again the second day. It’s definitely husband approved!
You can also put a spicy spin on this and use Monterrey Jack cheese and hot Rotel!
Step 1: Make Your Creamy Chicken Filling
First let me start by saying you can absolutely skip the extra work and use two cans of cream of chicken soup. Or one cream of mushroom and one cream of chicken. Totally your call. If you’re making this switch, be sure to read the recipe notes on how to adjust the recipe.
This recipe calls for one can of cream of mushroom soup and you’ll double the volume by adding in chicken broth, milk and flour. All the extra creamy goodness without the extra sodium and additives.
To start, in a large skillet, saute bell peppers and onions until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
Next, add cream of mushroom soup, milk, chicken broth and flour. Whisk well. Allow it to start to bubble and stir frequently as it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in cooked chicken and Rotel.
Step 2: Assemble Your Lightened Up King Ranch Chicken Casserole
First, you’ll lay down your foundation: corn tortillas.
That’s a good foundation for almost any dish in life, let’s be real.
You’ll use two and a quarter tortillas per layer (as seen in the picture below)
After the first layer of corn tortillas, put down about 1/3 of the creamy chicken mixture. Top with 1/3 cup of cheese, then your next tortilla layer.
Repeat until you have three layers and end with a top layer of cheese.*
*Three layers for an 8×8 dish
Step 3: Bake
Place casserole in the oven at 325 for 40 minutes. The casserole should be bubbling when you pull it out. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve!
PIN IT:
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 40 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- 7 corn tortillas
- 1 can rotel any heat level you prefer
- 1 cup shredded cheese divided into thirds
Ingredients
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|
- Saute bell pepper and onion in olive oil just under medium heat until onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add can of cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, milk, poultry seasoning and flour. Whisk until well combined.*
- Allow mixture to come to a boil then turn down to simmer, stirring frequently until thickened.
- Once thick, remove from heat and fold in drained Rotel and chicken. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325. Slice corn tortillas in half, and slice one of the tortillas into fourths.
- Spray 8x8 dish well with non-stick. Set down one layer of corn tortillas by using four halves and lining up the long straight edge with the edge of the dish. See photo above. Use one of the quarter pieces to cover the spot in the middle.
- Spread about a third of the chicken mixture onto the tortillas and top with 1/3 cup shredded cheese. Repeat 2 more times.
- Bake uncovered in oven for 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve!
- If you would rather use two cans of condensed soup, omit the milk, flour, poultry seasoning and chicken broth. These substitute for the second can of soup.
Can this dish be frozen, and baked at a later date?
Yes it would be a great freezer meal!
Your recipe calls for corn tortillas but your photos show flour tortillas. Which is correct?
Hi Faye- the tortillas in the photos are corn 🙂
How “lightened up” is this? I can’t find nutritional/calorie info. Made it anyway, though, and thought it was just as good as the traditional and more labor-intensive versions.
Hey Janis! Glad you liked it! I don’t have the nutritional info calculated, but you could plug it into something like My Fitness Pal to get the macros!