Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Casserole

From Denny: Casseroles are comfort food. They are also usually cost effective. Retro is back in style these days and comfort food is no exception. Apparently, this casserole dates back to the 50's and 60's from a real ranch in Texas founded in 1853 by the name of King Ranch and they are eager to lay claim to the recipe.

In our grandmothers' day they made casseroles to use up tired over-cooked veggies warmed over too many times (Yuck!) Today we make casseroles from fresh ingredients and get this wonderful marriage of flavors!

Casseroles are great for cooking ahead for working parents or a large family to feed inexpensively. Even when there is just one or two people at home there are those casseroles you can make up ahead, place in smaller cooking containers, freeze and pull out as you require a meal. Some casseroles freeze well and others don't. When I do freeze a finished dish like this I usually do so BEFORE I bake it - tastes better, so is the texture.

You can make the original version or shave some calories using low-fat versions of the same tasty ingredients, your choice.

When I make biscuits from scratch I cut them out of the fresh dough, leave them unbaked, freeze them on a baking sheet and when frozen place them in a freezer quality ziplock bag. When we want biscuits I pull them out frozen, pop them onto a baking sheet and into a hot oven, and presto! yummy fresh biscuits! Casseroles work well on the same idea.

Any casserole with cheese can be a calorie monster so watch the portions unless Hungry Jack is coming for dinner at your house! Or 3 hungry teenage boys - in that case, dish out your portion and hide it before they know it exists... :)

King Ranch Chicken Tex-Mex Casserole

From: “Lone Star Legacy II” by Austin (Texas) Junior Forum

Ingredients:

1 (3- to 3 1/2-lb.) chicken or 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. chicken pieces (we like chicken breasts at our house)

1 large onion, chopped (we like red onions or Vidalia sweet onions)

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 (10 3/4-oz.) cream of mushroom soup (low-fat in our house)

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup (low-fat in our house)

8 ozs. grated Cheddar cheese (low-fat in our house)

1 (12-count) pkg. corn (not flour) tortillas (flour tortillas make it gooey and gummy disgusting. Corn tortillas are higher in calcium and hold up better to a firmer texture in a casserole situation.)

Chili powder (a lot of awesome chili powders from New Mexico!)

Garlic salt (I find garlic salt too much salt, we use garlic powder)

1 (10-oz.) can Ro-tel Original or Mild Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained (do NOT purchase the hot level as it intensifies in a casserole)

Instructions:

1. Boil chicken until tender in water with chopped onion, chopped celery, chopped bell pepper, and salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve stock, but remove chicken and vegetables. Cool slightly and cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

2. Combine soups and grated cheese. Just before assembling casserole, soak the tortillas in boiling stock for just a second. They will fall apart if you let them stay in longer. If they break up, layer them anyway.

3. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. (Because I can't stand preservatives in oil products, I use clarified butter, melted and brushed on with a pastry or basting brush, tastes better too! Can use unsalted clarified butter if you are worried about reducing the salt content.)

Start layering casserole in this order: first, half of the tortillas, half of the chicken and vegetables, and then sprinkle, to taste, with chili powder and garlic salt; and then half of the soup mixture. Repeat with another layer. ending with the soup mixture.

4. Next, cover the top of the casserole with undrained Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies. Juices in the casserole should be about half the depth of the dish; if not, add a little more of the stock.

5. Bake uncovered in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

*****

A refreshing Ice Tea with fresh mint would go well with this!

Mint Iced Tea

From: “Southern Cocktails” by Denise Gee

Serves: 6 or more.

Mint Syrup:

Makes: about 1-1/2 cups.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

12 fresh mint sprigs

Instructions:

1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil while stirring. Reduce the heat and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves.

2. Add the mint and set aside; cool to room temperature.

3. Pour the mint syrup through a strainer into a clean container and store in the refrigerator indefinitely.

Tea:

Water

Tea bags (we like Family-size Luzianne brand, awesome brand that especially developed a black tea for perfect iced tea every time, as no bitterness. If you don't have it in your area; order it on the internet; it's inexpensive and very tasty, worth the effort.)

Ice

Mint Syrup

Fresh mint sprigs, if desired

Instructions:

1. Make tea according to directions on the tea bag package.

2. Cool to room temperature. Put ice cubes in glass. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons Mint Syrup to glass. Add cooled tea to fill. Stir to mix. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and serve.

Recipe: Crawfish Pie

From Denny: Crawfish Pie is easy to make and a huge favorite around here. During crawfish season (from about March through the end of May, sometimes into the first week of June) we enjoy these simple pies. If you don't have crawfish available, use shrimp! We don't use Chinese crawfish because of the heavy metals contaminants found in them. Use Louisiana crawfish whenever you can - just buy it as the frozen tails already shelled for you.

From: Shelley Boudreaux and given to publish in the 2theadvocate.com food section (local newspaper in Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Makes 2 (9-inch) pies.

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts

1-1/2 sticks butter

2 onions, chopped

1 bunch green onions, washed, dried and chopped

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, washed, dried and chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 lbs. crawfish tails

Tony’s Cajun Seasoning or salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

2 (14-oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup

2 (14-oz.) cans cream of celery soup

2 to 3 cups cooked rice


Directions:

1. Place pie crust in bottom of 9-inch pie dish. Repeat with second crust. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large skillet, melt butter and sauté onions, green onions, parsley and garlic until onions are soft.

3. Add crawfish tails and season to taste. Cook, uncovered for about 10 minutes.

4. Add cream of mushroom and cream of celery soups. Cook another 5-10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and gently stir in at least 2 cups of cooked rice. You will have to judge if it looks too soupy and if so add more rice. Allow the filling to cool slightly.

6. Spoon into prepared pie crusts. Crimp top edge of pie or gently fold it over the pie filling. Repeat.

7. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until each pie crust is nicely browned and pie is heated through. If after 15-18 minutes pie crust top is getting too browned, cover top edges with strips of foil to prevent burning. Cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Green Spinach Noodles - casserole

Green Spinach Noodles Casserole

Serves 6 to 8. From Betty Istre.

Here’s an easy fast dish to prepare on a cold winter’s night. Use some of that leftover ham, chicken or turkey from the holidays that was not enough to serve alone. Combined in this comfort pasta dish it’s a real winner!


Ingredients:

½ chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 stick butter

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 (8-oz.) can sliced mushrooms

Water

2 cups chopped cooked ham, chicken or turkey

1 (6-oz.) package spinach noodles, boiled until barely done, drained

1 cup diced cheese (Colby cheese is really good)

1 (8-oz.) carton sour cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions: Sauté onions and celery in butter until clear.

Add soups and mushrooms. Mix well and gradually add 1 soup can of water.

Stir in meat and noodles and season to your taste. Stir in diced cheese and sour cream. If not very soupy, add a little water.

Bake in a greased casserole dish at 350 degrees F. until bubbly (about 35 minutes).

Sprinkle with grated cheese on top and let sit 10 minutes in oven that has been turned off.