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Printable recipe below! Looking for an easy weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy- this King Ranch Chicken casserole is a flavorful recipe with history too!
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0:00
Hey, you've probably heard of this dish.
0:01
One of the most iconic casseroles that
0:03
there is. So popular in the fall, but I
0:06
bet [music] you don't know the real
0:07
story of how the King Ranch casserole
0:09
got its name.
0:12
Hey, thank y'all for joining [music] us
0:13
in camp today. And what are we talking
0:15
about? A very famous casserole dish.
0:19
But really, the name has nothing [music]
0:21
to do with the dish.
0:23
King Ranch chicken casserole.
0:26
Now, the King Ranch
0:28
they didn't make this dish. They raise a
0:29
lot of beef. But I have probably seen
0:32
this casserole [music] at more funerals,
0:34
more family reunions. We used to have at
0:36
least twice a week in the wintertime
0:37
[music] at home. But we going to cowboy
0:40
it up a little, change it just a tad,
0:42
but stick to its roots, and make it
0:44
better.
1:02
>> Say a little quick prayer.
1:03
Lord, thank you for giving me the
1:05
ability not to burn biscuits. I hope
1:06
it's true.
1:07
>> Cowboy Kent Rollins is back.
1:09
>> Ooh, we are singing in the happy days to
1:11
now.
1:12
>> New recipes.
1:13
>> A lot of people told me it tastes like
1:14
chicken, but [music] it don't. Tastes
1:16
like gator.
1:16
>> Tastes like gator.
1:17
>> Yeah.
1:17
>> Thanks.
1:17
>> New locations.
1:19
>> Playing with bottle rockets as a kid.
1:20
>> That's the coolest bottle rockets there
1:21
is.
1:22
>> Same cowboy.
1:23
>> Sort of like a long-tailed cat in a room
1:24
full of rocking chairs. Things are just
1:26
going to happen fast.
1:27
>> Cast Iron Cowboy premieres Monday at
1:29
8:00, presented by Yeti.
1:31
>> It is Hatch chile roasting season here
1:33
in New Mexico. It is. So, I would be
1:35
offended if we didn't use it. A lot of
1:37
the recipes call for a green bell
1:39
pepper, but why? Why would you put that
1:41
in there when you could have a Hatch
1:43
green chile? And then a yellow onion.
1:45
All of it's diced up. I got me some
1:47
butter already melting over there in a
1:49
12-in Dutch oven. I'll meet y'all at the
1:51
fire.
1:52
>> Woo!
1:53
>> [music]
2:01
>> This is [music] the king chicken.
2:03
Now, you can use whatever kind of
2:05
chicken you want. Canned chicken, or you
2:07
can use a whole chicken.
2:09
I'd ask you to go back and watch some of
2:11
our videos over where we smoked some
2:12
whole chicken.
2:13
I want to be easy. I got me a rotisserie
2:16
model I am. But, when you buy a lot of
2:18
canned chicken, a lot of times all
2:20
you're getting is just white meat.
2:22
You're not going to get the flavor that
2:23
you need in every chicken dish by not
2:26
combining white and dark together. So,
2:30
let's see what we can do to king
2:31
chicken.
2:33
We'll just get us some of this breast
2:34
meat chopped off first, leg and thigh.
2:39
More leg and thigh.
2:42
And a wing.
2:51
Now, most recipes that I seen when I was
2:53
looking at this, and I had a recipe in
2:54
my mind from many years ago when my
2:56
mother made it, was saying like 1 and
2:58
1/2 to 2 cups of chopped or shredded
3:01
chicken.
3:02
Why would you leave the poor king laying
3:04
out here by himself where he didn't get
3:06
to participate? If y'all have followed
3:08
us very long, you know we're not going
3:09
to skimp on meat. So, we're going to put
3:11
the whole chicken in there.
3:13
How many of you out there watching
3:15
actually know what that was called?
3:18
And if you had it, and you broke it,
3:21
[music] and you got the short end, what
3:23
happened? Leave me a comment, let me
3:25
know. Did you ever see [music] one of
3:26
these?
3:39
I I got something to tell you.
3:42
Don't add the lid to this. It don't cook
3:44
well.
3:57
>> Got my soups [music] and my Rotel in
3:59
there. It is time to season. First,
4:01
we're going to have a little coarse
4:02
ground black pepper.
4:08
We'll call that good, maybe. Okay?
4:11
Now, my mother used to put chili powder
4:13
in hers, just a little, and she had no
4:14
hot taste whatsoever for her. But, I
4:17
found out if you use some ancho chili
4:19
powder, you're going to get that little
4:21
hint maybe of some smoky goodness to it
4:23
as well. So, in it goes.
4:28
A little bit of garlic powder.
4:31
And some of our mesquite seasoning for a
4:33
little bit of flavor. We'll taste that
4:36
after we get it mixed, see if we need to
4:38
adjust.
4:45
Now, we got to prep the tortillas.
4:54
Time to assemble it is. Same Dutch oven
4:57
that we browned up them little veggies
4:59
in a while ago. Just take it. We have
5:01
cut us up some corn tortillas. We need
5:03
to place a layer. Now, my mother
5:05
sometimes would cut them in what you
5:07
call triangles, and sometimes she'd just
5:09
cut them in strips.
5:11
I'm not going to get into geometry with
5:13
you. You do it however you wish. Just
5:15
make sure you got them in the bottom,
5:16
cuz we got to have that bottom layer.
5:27
So, [music] got them first layer of
5:29
tortillas in there. Now come the
5:32
king of the chicken.
5:35
So, we're just going to spoon him in
5:36
there. Try to get us a layer that's
5:38
about the same height
5:40
all the way around.
5:43
And if you're doing this at home,
5:46
you need to be putting this
5:48
in a preheated oven when you get through
5:51
350° cuz you going to bake it
5:54
for about 30 to 40 minutes.
5:57
Cuz remember the chicken is cooked
5:59
through
6:01
and the veggies have been cooked. So
6:03
really we're just warming amongst all
6:06
the flavors and getting that cheese to
6:08
melt. And speaking of cheese
6:11
Duker and the folks in Wisconsin would
6:13
be proud we added some right now.
6:16
Now I'm using cheddar today, but
6:19
whatever your favorite blend is, I think
6:21
it'd be all right.
6:23
And we going to keep on layering [music]
6:24
this out till we have used all the
6:26
ingredients we have on hand.
6:45
>> [music]
6:54
>> Before we dig in, let's talk about the
6:56
famous name behind this dish. The King
6:59
Ranch began in 1853 when riverboat
7:02
captain Richard King purchased a creek
7:04
fed oasis in South Texas rugged wild
7:07
horse desert. From that original cow
7:09
camp, it grew to roughly 825,000
7:13
acres, more land than the state of Rhode
7:15
Island. And it's famous for its cattle,
7:17
horses, and its iconic running W brand.
7:21
The ranch became known for innovation as
7:23
well as size. It developed heat tolerant
7:26
Santa Gertrudis, [music] recognized in
7:28
1940 as the first beef cattle breed
7:31
developed in the United States. But
7:33
here's the twist on this dish. This
7:35
famous casserole has no documented
7:37
connection to the ranch or its kitchens.
7:40
The dish appears to have emerged in
7:43
post-war Texas when creamy canned soup
7:46
casseroles were becoming enormously
7:48
popular. One intriguing theory is that
7:50
this began as a Tex-Mex reinvention of
7:54
chicken a la king, an older dish made
7:57
with chicken, mushrooms, and peppers in
7:59
a cream sauce. Texas cooks may have
8:02
added tortillas, chilies, and canned
8:04
soup, then give it a suitable
8:06
Texas-sized name. The name may simply
8:10
have been borrowed because the King
8:11
Ranch was already such a powerful symbol
8:14
of Texas.
8:22
I like to finish off with a layer of
8:24
tortillas and then a little more cheese.
8:27
Then I'm going to put the lid on. I'm
8:28
going to take it over to fire and I'm
8:29
going to cook it.
8:38
If you are just starting out to cook in
8:41
a Dutch oven, I recommend you cook
8:43
casseroles because they're the easiest
8:45
thing in the world to cook. The bottom
8:47
will just heat up to get everything to
8:48
bubble through and the top you can see
8:50
when you take the lid off. Easiest thing
8:53
in the world. Get the family involved.
8:55
Won't take long to cook it out here
8:56
today because Mother Nature's sunshine
8:58
is putting out about 85, so we'll keep
9:01
an eye on it, rotate that lid just a
9:02
little, regulate heat, and we'll be good
9:05
to go. I got this on a trivet. Coals
9:07
around the outside edge only, never
9:09
directly under unless I'm trying to
9:11
target heat. Now, I've got this on a
9:13
5-in tall trivet today. We do make a
9:16
3-in. If you were using it, you would
9:19
not use as much heat because you're
9:21
closer to the fire. Now, if you don't
9:23
have a trivet and you're looking for
9:24
one, get them off our website. [music]
9:27
It is a great way to control your heat,
9:29
keep you from burning some, and make you
9:31
a better cook.
9:35
>> [music]
9:42
[music]
9:48
[music]
10:01
[music]
10:02
>> Well, there you have it. We done
10:04
cowboyed up the King Ranch Chicken
10:06
Casserole. And folks, it is a very
10:08
pretty looking dish. It is so easy to
10:10
cook. Remember, casseroles best thing to
10:12
cook in a Dutch oven. Let this cool
10:14
before you go to slapping it around in
10:15
your mouth. It'll burn your tongue off
10:17
with that cheese.
10:18
Them tortillas got all tender, so you
10:20
know you cooked long enough. We going to
10:22
get us a bite right here.
10:29
All hail the king of the chicken.
10:30
Uh-huh. Woo.
10:32
That is some fine dining right there.
10:34
>> [music]
10:34
>> Them hatch chilies bring it to the top.
10:37
Well, I had to wake some of the crew up.
10:40
Lou was asleep over there under the
10:42
wagon. Duker was asleep in the shade.
10:45
We got to hurry cuz the bees is about to
10:47
get all of it, even their share. Where
10:49
are you at, little little fella?
10:51
Here you go, baby dog.
10:53
Good job. Everybody had some. They're
10:56
such good help.
10:57
Well, we thank you so much for tuning
10:59
in. We never take it for granted, we
11:01
don't. This is a great recipe for you to
11:03
try. Make it a Sunday after church or a
11:06
Saturday, or cook it for breakfast and
11:07
put a egg on it. I don't care, but it is
11:09
so good. But it is with pride, honor,
11:11
and privilege that I tip my hat to all
11:13
the service men and women and all the
11:15
veterans that have kept that old flag a
11:16
flying. We commend you all and lift you
11:18
up in prayer daily. Rest of you get on
11:21
up in here. New viewers, old viewers, we
11:23
going to do it what? A big old hug.
11:26
God bless you each and every one, and
11:28
I'll see [music] you down the King Ranch
11:30
Chicken Trail.
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