Reimagined Small-Batch King Ranch Casserole blends rotisserie chicken, bell pepper, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and a creamy homemade sauce for a cozy Tex-Mex dinner sized for four. No canned soups. No Velveeta (unless you want that nostalgic twist). Just melty cheese, soft tortillas, and a golden-crisp top. It's perfect for weeknight dinners or small-batch comfort food.
If you've ever daydreamed about a cozy, cheesy casserole that's big on flavor but small in scale, this version of King Ranch Chicken Casserole is for you. It's creamy, comforting, made from scratch with simple ingredients, easy to buy, and requires no canned shortcuts.
I've got to be honest: I made the "classic" King Ranch Casserole using a traditional recipe years ago, and I wasn't impressed. It tasted heavy, felt flat, and the canned soup base overwhelmed everything else. That said, I'm not someone who scorns convenience ingredients. Some of my best go-to casseroles use canned soup and Velveeta. But for that attempt, it just didn't work for me.
That's why this reimagined small-batch version means so much. By stripping the recipe down, building layers from scratch, and tuning the ratios for a smaller dish, I finally found the creamy, cozy Tex-Mex comfort I always wanted from King Ranch, without compromise.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Small-Batch Friendly: With just the two of us, small-batch is ideal. With just 4 servings, this casserole makes enough for a fresh-from-the-oven meal and a delicious leftover meal.
- No Canned Soup or Processed Cheese Needed: Fresh ingredients and a homemade sauce let flavor shine through.
- Minimal Prep, Maximum Comfort: Rotisserie chicken makes it quick and easy, with no separate chicken-cooking required.
- Balanced Flavor: Bell pepper, onion, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and Tex-Mex spices bring warm, satisfying flavors.
- Make-Ahead & Flexible: The sauce can be prepared ahead of time, the casserole assembled later, or freeze before baking for future ease.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
I know that this looks like a lot of ingredients. However, they come together quickly!
Steps to Make the Reimagined Small-Batch King Ranch Casserole
- Sauté the Vegetables: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Then, add onion and bell pepper, cooking 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Build the Sauce: Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Add tomatoes, cream, and cheese: Stir in the drained diced tomatoes with green chiles and sour cream. Reduce the heat, and then add ¾ cup of shredded cheese. Stir until melted and silky.
- Fold in Chicken and Taste: Add the bite-sized rotisserie chicken and mix until evenly coated. Then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. The mixture should be creamy and well-seasoned, but not overly salty.
- Layer the Casserole: Grease a shallow 8 × 8-inch or 6.5 × 9-inch baking dish. Layer 2 corn tortillas cut to fit the bottom of the casserole dish, and spread half the chicken mixture. Then layer the remaining tortillas and top with the remaining mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and the crushed tortilla chips.
- Bake: Bake uncovered at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and the top is golden. Let rest 5-10 minutes. Then garnish with minced parsley and serve.
This Reimagined Small-Batch King Ranch Casserole takes everything you love about the Tex-Mex classic - creamy sauce, tender chicken, gooey cheese, and soft tortillas - and scales it down without compromise. It's cozy, flavorful, and endlessly comforting, proving that big flavor doesn't require a big dish. Yum!
Chula's Test Kitchen Tips
- Cut tortillas to fit: I used 5-inch corn tortillas in this recipe. I ended up cutting the tortillas into fourths for the layering in the 6.5 x 9-inch casserole dish. In retrospect, I think that cutting them in half would have worked just as well.
- No Chicken Broth? As I was starting to make this casserole, I discovered that I didn't have any chicken broth. I did, however, have Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base. I ended up mixing about a teaspoon of the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base with ¾ cup of hot water - perfect substitute!
- Shred or Bite-Sized Pieces? I debated whether it would be better to shred the rotisserie chicken or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Based on prior experiences, I decided that for the best texture, it would be better to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. For this casserole, that decision was spot on.
- How Much Cheese? I'm a huge fan of cheese, so I decided to use 1 ½ cups split evenly between the casserole filling (¾ cup), and the cheese on top (¾ cup). For me, this was perfect. However, you can reduce the total cheese to 1 cup if you like.
- Too Late, Too Tired? By the time I had ultimately put this casserole together, it was getting late, I was tired, and wasn't very hungry. Therefore, I carefully removed the crushed tortillas, covered the casserole, and refrigerated it. The next day, I removed it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking, re-added the crushed tortilla chips, and increased the baking time by about 10 minutes. Worked perfectly! I could have also refrigerated the filling and assembled the casserole the next day. Both methods are very forgiving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but with a caveat. Flour tortillas will soften and become more dough-like. If you go this route, lightly toast them before layering to reduce mushiness.
Absolutely. Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt for a similar level of creaminess. However, avoid non-fat versions, which may curdle during baking.
I would avoid pre-shredded cheese. It contains a coating that can inhibit the melting. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly and gives a better cheese pull, which is exactly what you want for presentation and texture.
The sauce filling can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Assemble and bake later for best results.
I like to serve this with a simple green salad and fresh French bread. For a more substantial meal, consider Mexican rice, which soaks up the creamy sauce; refried or black beans for the classic Tex-Mex heartiness; fresh pico de gallo or guacamole for a zesty, fresh finish; and warm flour tortillas or cornbread to round out the meal.
Other Delicious Recipes Using Rotisserie Chicken
Believe it or not, I only recently discovered the huge benefits of using rotisserie chicken. Here are some of my recent additions:
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Reimagined Small-Batch King Ranch Casserole
Equipment
- Medium Skillet
- 8 x 8 inch or 6.5 x 9 inch casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (8 ounces) rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon (0.5 ounces) unsalted butter
- ½ cup diced onion (½ medium onion)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth (See Tip 1)
- 10 ounce can Rotel Original diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) sour cream (See Tip 2)
- 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (See Tip 3)
- 4 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- ½ cup (1.5 ounces) crushed tortilla chips
- Chopped parsley or green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray an 8 x 8 or 6.5 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. (See Tip 4)
- Sprinkle in flour; stir constantly for 1 minute to remove the raw taste. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, stirring until smooth. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the drained tomatoes with green chiles and sour cream. Add ¾ cup of shredded cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
- Fold in the chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Layer half of the corn tortillas in the prepared dish. Spoon over half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining ¾ cup of shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips. (See Tip 5)
- Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or green onions if desired and serve.
- Yield: 4 servings.
Video
Tips/Notes
- If you don't have chicken broth, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base mixed with ¾ cup of hot water. The Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, however, is somewhat salty, so taste carefully before adding salt.
- I used light sour cream, but feel free to use full-fat sour cream.
- You could substitute Cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese or a Mexican blend cheese for the Monterey Jack.
- Chili powder, paprika, and cumin are oil-based seasonings. Their flavors are enhanced by briefly sautéing them with garlic.
- May be prepared in advance without adding the crushed tortilla chips, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking, and add about 10 minutes to the baking time.
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