King Ranch Chicken

Just right for a potluck, this spicy casserole fi lled with layers of saucy chicken, corn tortillas and lots of cheese will be the hit of any gathering!

6 Tbs. butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped red peppers

1 cup chopped poblano peppers

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 lbs. coarsely chopped cooked skinless chicken, preferably smoked, about 5 cups

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped + additional

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 8 oz.

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, 8 oz.

18 (6") corn tortillas

1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 13"x9" baking dish with cooking spray. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute.

Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in broth; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; add tomatoes and sour cream. In large bowl, stir together chicken and 1 cup cilantro; stir in vegetable mixture until blended. Combine cheeses in separate bowl. ● Heat large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brush each tortilla on both sides with oil. Cook tortillas, in batches, in hot skillet until lightly browned and crisp on both sides.

Line bottom of baking dish with 6 tortillas, overlapping slightly. Top with half of chicken mixture and one-third of cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining tortillas and cheese. Lightly coat sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.