King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 18 corn tortillas, 6 inch
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, 10 oz, drained
• 1 can diced green chiles, 4 oz
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Before you cook

• Chop the onion and bell pepper and mince the garlic.
• Drain the canned tomatoes with green chiles.
• Shred both cheeses and toss them together.
• Cut the tortillas into quarters.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 7 minutes until soft and translucent.
3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the chicken broth and milk in a slow stream, whisking to keep the sauce smooth.
6. Simmer the sauce for 6 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Stir in the drained tomatoes and the green chiles and take the pan off the heat.
8. Fold the shredded chicken into the sauce.
9. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the baking dish and cover it with a third of the tortilla quarters.
10. Spoon a third of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and scatter on a third of the cheese.
11. Repeat the tortilla, chicken and cheese layers twice more, finishing with cheese.
12. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
13. Take off the foil and bake 15 minutes more, until the top is browned and the edges bubble.
14. Rest the casserole for 10 minutes, scatter cilantro over the top, and cut into squares.