Queen Ranch Casserole

Name: Queen Ranch Casserole
Yield: makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 large whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1 tablespoon olive oil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth, or 2 cups homemade chicken broth (page 200); 4 teaspoons cornstarch; 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes or diced tomatoes with green chiles; 1 (8-ounce) can diced green chiles; 6 corn tortillas, cut into bite-size pieces; 4 ounces light Velveeta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 cup); Garlic salt

December 9, 2011

All hail to the Queen! If you’re a fan of our Traditional King Ranch Casserole (page 41), you will love this lighter version, which delivers on taste but not on fat. We cut out the creamy soups to home in on the flavors from the green chiles and Rotel tomatoes. That’s not to say that this dish is super-spicy; it has a kick, but is overall very fresh. The cornstarch and broth mixture is called a slurry, and is used to thicken soups, stews, and sauces. Here are a few tips for making a slurry: Never add cornstarch directly to a hot liquid or it will lump; slurries should be 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts liquid, and, when stirred, should have the consistency of heavy cream; if you don’t have cornstarch, you can substitute flour—just use twice as much.

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