The following recipe comes to you from one of our most avid blog readers: Keith Moore. You demanded it and he’s supplying it. That’s right, folks. Right here on your Living Proof blog. Who in the world would have ever guessed you could get a recipe here on this site with my reputation for failure in the kitchen? Shoot fire. I might even throw my back out and pitch you my Texas Sheetcake recipe later in the week if you keep this up. From Keith’s kitchen to yours, Living Proof Ministries proudly presents (drum roll, please)our first annual Texas holiday favorite, complete with a decorative tortilla turkey on top: King Ranch Chicken!
Ingredients:
*1/4 cup butter
*1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
*1 medium onion, chopped
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*1 can (10 oz) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (This is a staple in every Texas cupboard and critical to this dish but I’m worried that some of you far from the Lone Star State won’t be able to find it. Look for it near the cans of whole tomatoes. If there’s only one RO*TEL on the shelf, God put it there and is equipping you for every good work. Believe it or not, Keith uses two cans instead of one but don’t try that at home. We’re professionals.)
*2 cups cubed cooked chicken. (If you don’t boil your own, please don’t tell Keith. He thinks that’s sacrilegious. You’re supposed to always do your own so that you have fresh broth on hand for whatever recipe you come up with next. Gosh. This is boring me to tears.)
*12 corn tortillas, cut in halves or fourths
*2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (If you don’t grate your own and, instead, get the kind that’s already prepared in the bag like I do, don’t tell Keith that either.)
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook pepper and onion in melted butter until tender. (5 or so minutes. Like anyone cares.) Add soups, RO*TEL and chicken, stirring until well blended. In a 13X9X2-inch (that dimension took me ten solid minutes to type. This is more than I can take) baking pan, alternately layer tortillas, soup mixture and cheeses, repeating for three layers. Bake 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. (Good grief. I can’t believe I just wrote that. Hot and bubbling. How stupid is that? This whole recipe thing is bringing out my insecurities.) Serves 8. Or at my house, 3, because we eat like pigs.
Mine and Colin’s favorite part: If you’re making it for Thanksgiving or Christmas to add a little spice to an otherwise bland meal, take pair of scissors and cut out a turkey, place it on top, sweeping with egg-wash to help it stick together. Make waddle out of little piece of tomato or red pepper. Take picture and impress your friends.
I’m going to bed now. I’m exhausted. And hungry.
Here’s the sheet cake recipe! -Amanda
To answer the Rotel question, Yes you can find Rotel in New Haven, CT. We lived there for two years after moving from Houston and when we would have our other Aggie friends over we would always make Rotel. A little bit of heaven while living in the CT! Also, you will never know how much it meant to 3 Houstonians living in NY & CT when you came to Jersey. Just seeing you in person and hearing your voice made all of our eyes watery. It meant so much to a few home sick girls! In case you are wondering, we are all back in TX.
So, I laughed so hard reading your recipe post, Beth. I love to cook and your commentary and your husband’s recipe brought tears to my eyes and made my sides hurt! King Ranch Chicken is a staple in our house as well, also a favorite of my husband’s. Thanks for sharing, and as an avid baker I cannot wait to try your Texas Sheet Cake.
Thank you to Keith for sharing his recipe and to Beth for taking the time to type it in for us, you are so funny as usual :o)
I made this Tuesday evening. My husband and youngest daughter loved it! Even my picky seventeen year old daughter who always turns her nose up at anything remotely Mexican, (I know, I know, can you you even believe it) had two helpings!
Love to all,
April
Melissa, I wonder if you are mourning something? That’s usually when I experience what you’re describing. It can sometimes be as simple as the end of your recent vacation, or the even the end of a season in life. (Singleness?) It can be positive or negative changes. Truly, our problems are all common, aren’t they? You are not alone, sister, and you are in my prayers.
Blessings,
Gretchen
I’m not sure I’m brave enough to try this recipe, but I did see RO-TEL on my grocery store shelf. I shop at a WalMart Super Center in a very small town so I was quite surprised to see it! I thought of sweet Beth’s words that God put it there and was equipping me for every good work!
Alright…I made your King Ranch Chicken tonight for my whole family and it was delicious!!! Great recipe! It will certainly go down in my recipe book! Thanks for sharing…love ya!
We had King Ranch Chicken for supper tonight and all I can say is “Yummy-yum-yum”.
Thanks for sharing that recipe even though it was so grueling for you to do so! 😉 Your comments did making following the recipe more fun. I laughed a few times! It will be one that we make again sometime. I made this one at my mom’s daycare and all of the moms were coming in saying how good it smelled. I think I am going to have to make a few copies for them!
Okay, Beth. I’m just now catching up on reading the blog and I’m making Keith’s King Ranch Chicken tonight for my sisters-in-law and our girl’s night out.
But…
I just have to say that I do believe that LPM needs to add to its ministry plan for 2008 a cookbook for favorite recipes from the staff. The catch is that YOU, my dear, have to do the commentary of preparation! 🙂
Blessings, my dear!
Dori
My brother and his family moved to Oregon in 1982 where Rotel was scarce as hen’s teeth. Each time our parents flew out to visit from Texas they would pack a case of Rotel. Some things are practically irreplaceable. My family and I love this recipe. I use the low fat versions of the soups and you can’t tell the difference.
Okay, unless this would upset Kieth just entirely to much to share………
I can’t do spicey and Rotel pushes my poor little pitiful tastebuds over the edge…..I use mild salsa.
My husband won’t touch a mushroom to save his life…..literally. And I got sick of seeing the tiny pile of little bitty shroom flakes on his plate. I use 2 cans of cream of chicken (the mmm mmm good brand, 98% fat free)
Boil chicken? I’ve got 2 kids….boneless, skinless, breasts all the way.
My honey’s gotta watch his fat and cholesterol, I used Baked tortilla chips.
I am sure Kieth would cringe to hear these substitutes, but if anyone else is watching their points, these little alterations make a HUGE difference!
Have no fear, Yankee readers; we can buy Ro-Tel tomatoes even way up here in New Hampshire! But I think they are usually displayed in the Mexican food area. Southern ladies, I won’t bore you with the sad details of trying to find spicy food up here in New England, but it’s getting better; there are actually a couple of decent barbecue places up here now, as well as the always-popular Texas Roadhouse (close enough when you live where I do). I can’t wait to try this recipe out on my Tex-Mex loving family, especially my husband who considers salsa a vegetable…
OH. MY. GOODNESS!!
I just finished off the last little square that was left of our King Ranch Chicken! Beth, please thank Keith for this ever-so-easy and really, really tasty dish!!
While I didn’t boil my own chicken and grate my own cheese it did just fine — can’t imagine it being any better!
Spiritual teaching, Godly wisdom, Siesterly encouragement and tasty recipes, to boot!!! Goodness gracious — I LOVE THIS BLOG!
Blessings,
Dori
I finally picked up the Ro-Tel tomatoes. I took a can into my pastor (a Texas transplant to Michigan) — he actually hugged the can! :0
Why didn’t you all warn me?!
BTW: copied your recipe into a word document & decided not to edit it! Your editorial comments make me smile! If the Lord doesn’t come back, can you imagine the next generation reading that?!
I just wanted to let you know that I made this last night for our Hanukka meal and it will now be on our yearly Hanukka menu!!!! There is no doubt that it will be eaten many times throughout the year – but it is definately on the Hanukka menu!! Thanks!
Jenni
Loxley, AL
Could you please tell me what size the pan is for the cake?!? Thank you!
[email protected]
Heather in CA
Delicious recipe. Ro-tel tomatoes are available in California’s Central Valley so all ingredients were authentic. Like another blogger said, I am keeping the editorial comments in the recipe. They are so “Beth” you have to smile while you’re cooking. Thank you
Thank you for this recipe! It is my new fav 🙂
It’s 2009 and I finally got around to making your King Ranch Chicken. It’s fabulous! My husband ‘doesn’t do casseroles’, so I made it for my parents. I don’t think my dad has ever been more proud. (He’s on helping #3 as I type this.)