King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I made this recipe in two different glass 8x8 casserole dishes to accommodate vegetarians and meat eaters.

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 T butter
2 onions, chopped fine
1 jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
1 T cumin
2 (10-oz) cans Ro-tel tomatoes (or one 14.5oz can diced tomatoes and one 4-oz can drained chopped green chiles)
1 can black beans, drained
5 T flour
1 cup half and half
3 cups veggie broth (or can use chicken broth if not needing to accommodate vegetarians)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 cups Fritos corn chips, crushed

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Lay the tortillas on two baking sheets covered in parchment, lightly coat both sides with cooking spray, and bake until slightly crisp and browned, about 10 minutes.  Roast chicken breasts until lightly browned.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions, chiles, and cumin until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes with their juice and the drained black beans and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

During this time, start breaking up the tortillas into bite-sized pieces.  Chop the chicken into small pieces.

Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute.  Add the half and half and broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.  Off the heat, add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spray the two casserole dishes with cooking spray.  Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the bottom of the dishes.  Spoon half of the filling evenly over the tortillas (will be about 2-3 cups in each).  In the chicken dish, add the chopped chicken in one layer.  Scatter the remaining tortilla pieces over the filling, then top with the remaining filling.

Bake until the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle the Fritos evenly over the top and bake until the Fritos are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Cool the casserole 10 minutes.  Serve.

Things you can do ahead of time: The casserole can be assembled through step 3 and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1 day.

When ready to bake, remove the plastic, cover the casserole with foil, and bake until the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Remove the foil, top with the crushed Fritos, and proceed as directed with the rest of step 4.