King Ranch casserole??

[jjdbike]

Hello fellow pit masters,

I’m a meat church fan and like most recipes that Matt Pitman publishes. I bumped into his (his friend’s) King Ranch casserole recipe. It has peaked my interest. How can grilled chicken, cream of mushroom soup, rotel, onions & peppers, cheese, chili powder, tostadas and Doritos, smoked in a casserole pan not be good?

Have any of you eaten or made it? If so, any feedback?

I bought low salt, and gluten free soup to accommodate my wife and daughter in law.

One thing that surprised me about the recipe Matt made was he did not mention seasoning the chicken before grilling. How did he miss an opportunity to promote his rubs? At very least, SPG if not his Fajita rub, do you agree?

I’m planning on making this today. I’ll report back.

Cheers!
JD

[LA Pork Butt]

I have not had that version, but I have had it in the past. As you said how can it not be good. There is a fair amount of salt in the various items, so if you do season the chicken you might want to make it salt free. I would like to try that recipe, but that many calories rarely makes it into my house.

[jjdbike]

I have not had that version, but I have had it in the past. As you said how can it not be good. There is a fair amount of salt in the various items, so if you do season the chicken you might want to make it salt free. I would like to try that recipe, but that many calories rarely make it into my house.

Thanks LA Pork Butt,
Yes, canned soup has lots of salt. That’s why I got low salt versions. I revised Matt’s recipe. I missed that he seasoned the chicken w/ his Holy Gospel, which is his version of south western SPG. I may add a handful of fire roasted corn and a small can of chopped black olives.
JD

[realdocBBQ]

Essentially anything in a can (not drinks) has a lot of salt, usually.

[jjdbike]

Yes,
Next time I’ll look into making a white sauce myself and add the mushrooms.
JD

[CaptainMike]

This is a fun and easy comfort food dish that's a can't miss. Definitely season the chicken!

[fzxdoc]

I recently made up a batch of this recipe to substitute for those dreaded (to us) "cream of" soups, which are so full of salt and perservatives. I'm not a big health nut, but those cans scare me a bit.

This substitute is shelf stable, has no salt, and can be tweaked with whatever flavor you're looking for (chicken, celery, mushroom) by adding low salt chicken bouillion, celery seed, or powdered mushrooms. It worked pretty well for me; I've only used it once so far.

https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/

Kathryn

[58limited]

fzxdoc I have a cookbook called 'Deep South Staples or How To Survive In A Southern Kitchen Without A Can Of Cream Of Mushroom Soup' in which the author gives a recipe for the cream of mushroom. I'll have to see if he has a cream of chicken recipe too.

[fzxdoc]

Someone recently made this recipe on SUWYC. I said there, and I'll repeat it here: it's a puzzlement to me that a beef-raising ranch became so well known for a chicken dish. One of life's little ironies.

Kathryn

[CaptainMike]

There's nothing to apologize for. It's just friendly conversation.

[58limited]

fzxdoc No apology needed, and I'm sorry if you thought I was claiming credit for that observation - I've heard it from others (and probably you as well) for years. I was just expanding on what I know about this delicious simple casserole.

[fzxdoc]

You guys are great. 58limited and CaptainMike

K.

[jjdbike]

I recently made up a batch of this recipe to substitute for those dreaded (to us) "cream of" soups, which are so full of salt and perservatives. I'm not a big health nut, but those cans scare me a bit.

This substitute is shelf stable, has no salt, and can be tweaked with whatever flavor you're looking for (chicken, celery, mushroom) by adding low salt chicken bouillion, celery seed, or powdered mushrooms. It worked pretty well for me; I've only used it once so far.

https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/

Kathryn

Thanks so much Kathryn! I’ll do that next time.
JD

[jjdbike]

I recently made up a batch of this recipe to substitute for those dreaded (to us) "cream of" soups, which are so full of salt and perservatives. I'm not a big health nut, but those cans scare me a bit.

This substitute is shelf stable, has no salt, and can be tweaked with whatever flavor you're looking for (chicken, celery, mushroom) by adding low salt chicken bouillion, celery seed, or powdered mushrooms. It worked pretty well for me; I've only used it once so far.

https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/

Kathryn

You’ve inspired me so much w/ this that I’m headed off the the grocery store to grab these ingredients.
I realized it’s better for for wife & I w/ high BP & daughter in law who is gluten intolerant.
I’ll repot back
Thanks again!
JD

[barelfly]

for the GF cream of chicken/mushroom - we have found the store brand names for Albertsons (Signature Select) and Walmart are GF. (Check on Albertsons if you do) as we usually just make our own these days. But, in a pinch may help. Not sure on the salt content though.

[Michael_in_TX]

Here's my version of this I did a few days ago.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/food-recipes-techniques-show-us-what-youre-cooking/show-tell/1525086-show-us-what-you-re-cooking-suwyc-volume-32-winter-2023-2024?p=1535756#post1535756

One nice thing about living only about five hours south of Matt is that I generally can find the same ingredients he used. I even used the exact same tostadas.

I liked it and will make it again. It is rich, but very filling and comforting. And definitely has a mid-century vibe with all of that 'cream of' soup!

[jjdbike]

Thanks!

[Rod]

I made it. I normally love all his recipes. This one wasn't bad, but wasn't good enough to me to make it again. We too try to use low sodium ingredients whenever we can.

The corn chip flavor stood out more than anything else to me.

[fzxdoc]

Nothing wrong with that, IMO . Corn chips are one of the foods of the gods.

K.

[jjdbike]

I made it. I normally love all his recipes. This one wasn't bad, but wasn't good enough to me to make it again. We too try to use low sodium ingredients whenever we can.

The corn chip flavor stood out more than anything else to me.

What would you do differently if you chose to make it again?

[Rod]

I have no idea. I'm just not that creative!

[jjdbike]

You’ve inspired me so much w/ this that I’m headed off the the grocery store to grab these ingredients.
I realized it’s better for for wife & I w/ high BP & daughter in law who is gluten intolerant.
I’ll repot back
Thanks again!
JD

I dune messed up Bala-Kay. Instead of dry granulated bouillon . I got “Better than bouillon “. I completely blew the measurement s & perportions. It was not salvageable. I’ll just use the unsalted gluten free cans I have.
Cheers!
JD

[58limited]

I was going to suggest making and blending another batch but I just read the recipe and saw that it is a dry mix.

[fzxdoc]

Awww, bummer. My husband watches his salt intake, so I am especially attuned to the amount of salt thrown, willy, nilly, by chefs into recipes. I salt sparingly, figuring that I can always add more to adjust to my tastes and desires, but my husband does not have that luxury. For his health, least is best.

Kathryn

[tstalafuse]

I can't say I have ever used Doritos, but this is the recipe I use:

KING RANCH CASSEROLE
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 can chopped green chiles
1 bottle chunky medium salsa
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 cup chicken broth
3 cups shredded cheese
1 package of corn tortillas (approximately 30 tortillas)
2 - 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
Combine chicken, green chiles, garlic and salsa in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8hrs until it easily shreds. When done, shred chicken with fork and combine with cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, corn, black beans and 1 cup of chicken broth. In a 9x12 baking pan, poor ½ cup of broth in pan and layer bottom of pan with tortillas. Spoon in 1/3 mixture and cover with 1/3 of cheese. Create a second layer using tortillas, 1/3 of mixture and cheese. Create a third layer using only tortillas and mixture (reserve the last third of cheese) and top with remaining ½ cup of broth. Bake uncovered on 350°F for 45-50 minutes or bubbling in the center. When the casserole is bubbling in the center, add the remaining cheese, cover, and cook for an additional 10 minutes (long enough to melt the cheese without burning). Let cool for 10 minutes to thicken before serving.