Border Recipe: King Ranch Casserole

This dish endures - to the horror of the family that owns the famed King Ranch near the Mexico border.

Wait - what? Recipes on usbordernews.com ?

Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash

This is the “fun” section of our otherwise “serious” website - because my lifelong ties to the US-Mexico border (in my case the Texas-Mexico border) have always gone through the kitchen.

In my case, I am an unabashed consumer of “Tex-Mex” cuisine who became aware of its nuances when I moved from Texas to California, walked into a “Mexican” restaurant, and was presented with a platter that featured pickles instead of the jalapenos I expected. (It went downhill from there as I discovered my favorite dishes contained shredded instead of ground beef - and don’t even get me started on the chili!)

So I thought it only appropriate that I begin with the most controversial “Tex-Mex” (largely Anglo) dish of them all: King Ranch Casserole.

I was raised in Kingsville - the home of the legendary King Ranch - and was often served this dish as I grew up. I came to expect it at South Texas church potlucks - but had to move halfway across the state to find out it was as steeped in controversy as it was smothered in melted cheese.

(Update: Several of my friends who also grew up around the King Ranch reminded me that the dish is also often locally called “King Ranch Chicken” - even when it is cooked with other proteins like turkey).

Texas Monthly describes it as a “steaming mass of melted mush - not a pretty dish.” The magazine reports that King Ranch heir “Mary Lewis Kleberg, the widow of Dick Kleberg, (admitted) her heart (sank) every time a well-meaning hostess prepared it in her honor.”

Word to the wise: if you are ever invited to dinner at the King Ranch “Big House” in Kingsville (headquarters) or are treated to a meal at their very-upscale bougie-branded “King Ranch Texas Kitchen” in Houston (which serves very-fine steaks) - do NOT under any circumstance order King Ranch Casserole. It’s akin to pouring catsup over a “Grade-A” steak while the chef looks on in horror.

The King Ranch “Big House” (Headquarters Building) - on its Santa Gertrudis Division in Kingsville, Texas (Photo by: King Ranch, Incorporated)

That said, let’s dive into the recipe for this favorite (although maligned) South Texas dish which McAllen’s Junior League’s famous La Piñata cookbook rightly honors its place as a “great way to enjoy that leftover Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey.”

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 medium white onion, diced

• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced

• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• ¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

• 1 (3 pound) cooked chicken, torn into shreds or cut into chunks

• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

• 10 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into quarters

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Saute onion and bell peppers in the hot oil until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Add both cans of condensed soup, diced tomatoes with chile peppers, chicken broth, sour cream, cumin, ancho chile powder, oregano, and chipotle chile powder; mix until sauce is well-combined.

4. Spread a few tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer with 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the sauce, 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese, and 1/2 of the tortillas.

5. Spread the remaining chicken over the tortillas. Spread all but 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce over the chicken, then top with another 1/3 of the Cheddar, and the remaining tortillas. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup over top, and sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar.

6. Bake casserole in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes.

7. Turn on the broiler and broil until the top is golden, 2 to 3 more minutes.

8. Serve hot (but not to any members of the King Ranch family) and enjoy!

PS: Despite being unwelcome on the ranch for which it is named - when properly prepared I consider it a reliable South Texas comfort food, albeit one I would never ask for if invited to dine at the King Ranch Headquarters - or in its signature Houston restaurant.