King Ranch Casserole is considered to be a Texan staple, and I loved going over to friends’ houses when I was growing up and eating it there since the dish wasn’t in my mum’s English recipe repertory. For those of you who have never heard of King Ranch Casserole, it is basically an enchilada-style dish, but instead of the rolling the tortillas around the chicken and cheese filling, you lay the tortillas flat in the dish and layer the fillings on top. Normally King Ranch Casserole is made with chicken, but you can easily use your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers instead. This casserole makes enough for 8 large portions at $1.01 per serving plus the cost of your turkey leftovers.

Turkey King Ranch Casserole, adapted from Homesick Texan
3 cups leftover turkey meat, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes, or 1 8-ounce can diced tomatoes and 1 small can green chiles
3 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 cup half and half
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
10 corn tortillas
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper, and poblano pepper. Let the veggies cook for 10 minutes, and add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper, and ancho chile powder to the mix. Cook for another minute, and pour the chicken broth in the saucepan and cook over a low heat for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel. Cover the saucepan and let everything simmer for around 15 minutes while giving the sauce an occasional stir.

Take the lid off the saucepan, and add the sour cream, lime juice, and 1/4 cup of cilantro to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and take the sauce off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, as you begin to assemble the casserole. Grab a large baking dish, and spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Layer 5 of the corn tortillas on the bottom of the dish. I like to cut 3 of them in half and place the straight edge of the tortillas against the edges of the pan. Arrange the tortillas so the bottom of the pan is evenly covered.

Place half the turkey on top of the tortillas and pour over half of the remaining sauce. Top the casserole with half of the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Repeat the layering process again starting with another layer of tortillas and ending in a thick layer of grated cheese.

Cook the casserole uncovered for around 30 minutes, or until the cheese topping gets nice and browned. The casserole tastes great served with a big dollop of sour cream.

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