I take the easy way out and use tortilla chips, so I think frying them first would work pretty well.

I only made it once. Couldn't understand why it was considered a 5 star recipe from Southern Living. Threw it down the drain. Found it to be mushy, too.

My corn tortillas are mushy by the time it's served. It's delicious! Sorry...no solutions.

I prepare them like I do with enchiladas— put them through hot oil first (in a skillet) to soften. I think it helps to coat them this way, so they don’t absorb as much and break down.

Nicole, I had not even considered that maybe they are supposed to be mushy. I like the taste though either way.

Jinx that is worth trying and I do briefly fry my tortillas used for enchiladas. I'll try it today. (And thanks Cooper).

Georgysmom, I am amazed sometimes about the different likes and perspectives each of us has. I for one have made and loved this casserole for a long time, but we all like different things.

Let us know how it turns out. I want to clarify (sorry, I should’ve in my previous post), I don’t fry them or let them get crisp ... just soften with oil. I edited. Need more coffee. :)

That is too funny about the beef issue, Jinx. I haven't had King Ranch Casserole in ages. I love it. Might try my hand at making it.

Good luck, Lucille.

I just looked it up and that looks disgusting! All that canned soup....

There are lots of recipes for it that don’t use canned soups. It’s been modified every which way over the years.

ETA: This is a good one from one of my fav cooking blogs:

https://www.homesicktexan.com/2007/10/king-of-casseroles-king-ranch-chicken.html

OK, I am going to try this recipe, Jinx. I will try it tomorrow. Thank you!

I hope you like it, Zalco!

I like it both ways: with the nostalgic canned soups or modified. Depends on my mood. 😁

ETA: Another aside: I’ve been to The King Ranch (to pick up a horse). It‘s truly amazing. Legendary. Ok, sorry for all my asides, Lucille! ☺️

Jinx, the asides are the spice that makes the thread better!

That is sweet of you to say! ❤️

I’m really glad you started this ... I hadn’t browsed Lisa’s blog in a while and went to read a while. Came across her pinto bean recipes I used to make, so am definitely doing that soon. I just love a big pot of beans cooking all day, and having it with cornbread and hot sauce or chow chow. :)

Thank you Jinx. Your recipe looks easier to halve - even if we loved it we might not want to have it three days in a row. I'm not offended by a can of soup although not many of my go-tos include them. I'll give this a try, maybe the next time I have a Costco $5 chicken where we've only sliced into about 1/4 of it after getting home from shopping. It would be easy enough to season the preroasted chicken with the lime and chile powder.

Yes, the tortillas are supposed to be soft and absorb the liquids. I actually like mine with the flour tortillas better. I have made it both ways. This reminds me that I need to make this, haven't made it in a really long time!

I took Jinx' advice, above, and softened the tortillas in hot oil first. Also used slightly less liquid. Came out wonderful, and will be freezing about 10 portions tomorrow.

Yes, I used canned soup. Perhaps Houzz could develop a scarlet 'C' to be affixed next to my name, so the world knows of my shame.

It would have to go right next to the SC to warn others that I put sugar in my cornbread. And let's not forget the 'Artificial Sweetener in Cola'. ( And those are just my food aberrations.)

Lucille, you have such a wonderful sense of humor!

No, No, No....that's naughty, naughty. I confess to not allowing diet drinks in my house.

The garage refrigerator is full of them. DH stocks it with whatever his friends like.

Absolutely. It is well known that moving the sodas 50 feet into the garage removes all moral culpability. Unfortunately being a mere apartment dweller and having no garage, I am forced into naughtiness. Yet another example of how class divisions affect morality.

lol

As far as sugar in cornbread, I defend by pointing out that until one actually tastes the cornbread one cannot judge the effect of sugar, and the cornbread remains in a sort of super-storage state, neither good nor bad, because it has not been tasted. This is a well known scientific condition dubbed 'Schrodinger's Cornbread'.

a guest brought this dish to The King Ranch once and the matriarch at the time wasn’t pleased. They said they had nothing to do with it and since beef was their business, didn’t like a chicken dish named after them

Jinx

I had to laugh at this because it is so spot on believable. They are definitely an outspoken clan. I had the pleasure of sharing a table in the food court area at the Grand Nationals a couple years ago with an older couple I didn't know. The man politely asked me if I rode? I said I did but was pretty new to horses. He then asked what I rode. When I told him Arabians, he looked at me directly with "young lady are you lookin' to get yourself killed?" I found out later they were King Ranch people. I think of them often now that I ride western on quarter horses. The man, whose name I don't know, would be pleased.

Lucille, I know I'm in the minority. Years ago I bought Southern Living's 5 Star recipe book. All the recipes were rated 5 stars by their fans. Not only was King Ranch Casserole a 5 star, but their #1 five star recipe. The most popular of them all! I'm pretty adventuresome, am not a snob about C of M or C of C, and I usually find Southern Living recipes very reliable. It certainly sounded like something I would like, I followed the recipe to the letter, but it is one of the rare times in my lifetime that I dumped 3/4 of a casserole in the garbage. I keep saying I should try it again. We were in a Time Share at the time and maybe there was something wrong with the oven, but I just can't bring myself to venture down that road again. :-)))

Georgysmom, what a boring world it would be if we all like the same things. You are absolutely entitled to your feelings and preferences.

I have always heard of this casserole but have never had it. I am going to peruse the recipe and may give it a try. It sounds like good comfort food.

Lucille....haha Funny!

Ok. I don't use soup in mine. I do drink fake sugar drinks with blue food coloring in them tho! ☺

I’m laughing at this conversation, love it. 😄

I’m about to start sipping on my first, but not last, Diet Coke of the day. And I might use Cream of Something in something, soon. What if: I was drinking Diet Coke AT THE SAME TIME as eating Cream of Something in something?

I made you a scarlet C, Lucille:

Wildchild, that sounds so familiar! My Quarter Horse family and friends can be so snobby about other breeds. It’s funny.

Not me, I love them all. I’ve worked with many different ones, including draft horses, and love how they each have such individual traits. :)

https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1250494

Recipe for pork chops in diet Coke and cream soup.

I admit to cooking with (sugared) Coke. ;)

Georgysmom2, remember, there are people who really dislike chocolate.