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.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 servings

　　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

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Coat the chicken breasts with the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Put the chicken on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken cool. When it is cool enough to handle, dice it and set aside.

　　

Step 3

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the cooked chicken. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the chicken mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chiles and cook until thickened, about 6 minutes.

　　

Step 4

In the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, layer the tortilla pieces, cheese cubes, and chicken mixture, sprinkling each layer with garlic salt to taste. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling around the edges.

　　

notes

Step 5

Great for freezing! See our Freezer Tips on pages 23–27.

　　

Step 6

The Queens are far from being food snobs. Heck, we love us some Velveeta cheese! We can’t help it; it’s in our blood. Don’t believe us? Well, here’s proof: When growing up, Sandy’s mom worked as the postmaster for the post office in Hargill, Texas. (She just recently retired after forty-four years of service!) Her office was two blocks from their house. Every single day at 12:04 p.m., she would run in the door of home and demand that the TV be turned to whatever channel the soap opera All My Children was on. She then proceeded to prepare her lunch, which was a sandwich made with brown bread, mayo, sliced raw onion, and lots of Velveeta cheese. She ate this every single day. (Seriously!)

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.