A Casserole Classic and New Love

I have to ask... How was your Valentine's Day? Mine was stupendous. 

One filled with old love and new love.

You see, our family expanded on Valentine's Day 2014. 

Meet Maddie, the newest addition to the Obenhaus clan.

Maddie is an adorable 4 month old Schnorkie (Schnauzer and Yorkie mix) we adopted from an animal rescue.

Do you see the mischief in those dark eyes? 

It's showing itself just a little more every day.

Of course she is a puppy. And puppies like mischief.

But they can also be sweet and cuddly. 

Like when they fall asleep under my desk just to be close to mama.

Even though I'm basking in the glow of puppy love, life still goes on. Which means my family still demands to be fed.

Sigh!

So it's time to whip out a classic.

King Ranch Casserole is a staple here in Texas. And it's no wonder...

With a nod toward Mexican food, yet tame enough for the most sensitive of palates, King Ranch Casserole is a heaping helping of down-home goodness.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 rotisserie chicken (boned and chopped)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups Chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Ro-tel)
• 15 corn tortillas, quartered
• 2 cups (or more) cheddar cheese (I used a blend of sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack, because I like the creaminess of jack cheese)

Note:  I used a rotisserie chicken I picked up from the grocery store because I was in a time crunch. You know, playing with puppies takes up a lot of time. However, you can also boil your own chicken or use leftovers. Just so you have about 5-6 cups of chopped chicken.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix your soups, chili powder, garlic salt and diced tomatoes and green chilies together.

Kind of looks like queso, doesn't it?

I don't think I'd want to try a scoop of this on a chip though.

Saute your bell pepper and onion in some oil (I used olive oil).

Once tender, add the pepper and onion to the soup mixture and stir to combine.

Thin mixture to desired consistency with chicken broth. I used about three-fourths to a cup.

So you got your chicken, your soup mixture, your cheese and your tortillas. Now it's time to assemble.

In a greased 9 x 13 pan, layer tortilla quarters along the bottom.

Sprinkle with half of your chicken.

Spoon half of your sauce/soup mixture over that.

Doesn't that red and green look pretty?

Cover that with a layer of cheese.

Confession time...when I'm assembling casseroles like this, I never measure my cheese. I just add it until it looks right to me.

Repeat the layers, adding a final coating of cheese on top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. You want it bubbly and the cheese golden.

While that's baking, play with puppy.

Maddie loves to play ball. And it's a good thing, too. All that chasing after it will wear her out.

Oops...there goes the timer.

Perfection. 

Though I couldn't hold the natives off long enough to get a pic.

Creamy, cheesy, chickeny goodness. 

Mmm, mmm, mmm...

Aren't casseroles like the greatest invention ever?

Of course, they were the invention of some poor, frazzled mother, frantically looking for something to feed her family for dinner. And there's nothing like hungry kids to spur us into action.

Right, Ruthy?