Teresa, that sounds easy and pretty good. I recently made Ann's Corn and Cheddar Muffins, which would probably be a great topping for your casserole, as they made pretty great muffins. The Cabbage Roll casserole sounds pretty good too, and one I will try in the future.

Lars, I also sub chicken broth sometimes for milk or cream and would like to try your squash and okra dishes. (Okra's not a favorite of mine but dh likes it.)

Linda, those all sound good! Thanks for sharing. I especially want to try the wild rice dish, but am wondering what I might substitute for the mushrooms (I'm allergic to them). I typically just leave them out, but wonder if anyone has Any Ideas for substitutions?

Lars,

Okra parm is a great idea. Sort of a cross between two favs of mine, okra and eggplant parm. Please post your recipe. The first blossoms opened on my okra today. Looks like there will be a good crop.

Jim

Okay, here's my okra recipe. It doesn't make that many servings, but I really, really like it!

Okra Parmigiana

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds okra
2 eggs
1 tbsp water
2 cups Panko (or other bread crumbs) seasoned with
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
olive oil, for sauteing
2 cups Marinara sauce
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 oz.), aged 1-1/2 years (or less)

Directions:
Wash and dry the okra, making sure the okra is completely dry. I generally wash it the day before so that it can air dry in the refrigerator. Cut off the tails and stems and cut the okra in half lengthwise.

Beat the eggs with the water, and dip the okra into the egg mixture, and then roll in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Saut� in olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat, turning once to brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Layer half of the okra in a 9x13x2" pan and cover with 1 cup of Marinara sauce. Add another layer of okra and then the rest of the marinara sauce. Add fried crumbs on top if you have any, and then add the Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove from oven if the cheese starts to get brown at the edges.

I don't have a recipe for squash casserole, but I basically just cook the squash with onions, drain, season with salt and pepper (especially pepper), and then add 2-3 eggs that have been diluted with water (You can use the cooking water if it has cooled). Then I pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with dry bread crumbs and cheese, and bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 until done. If needed, I bake 10 minutes more with the lid off to brown the top.

Lars

Georgysmom, I'm relieved to hear that. It seems like a ''wannabe'' of something, I just can't put my finger on what that is. Or maybe I don't really care to!

Thank you Lars!

Lasagna is my favorite casserole. But baked ziti is easier, and I make it like LindaC but I add ricotta cheese to the mix. Then it tastes like lasagna lol.

I make chicken enchiladas like lasagna - use your favorite recipe but layer the corn tortillas like lasagna noodles instead of rolling each one up with filling. Tastes just the same but it's easier.

Anyone ever try spaghetti pie? I'd have to consult my old-fashioned recipe box but I think you take cooked spaghetti, mix with ricotta and egg, some parsley and put it in a deep pie plate, pressing the noodles up the side of the plate and then spreading meat sauce in the middle - cheese on all and bake. Cut into wedges and serve. I'll have to revisit that and get back to anyone interested.

I absolutely love chicken tetrazzini - the old NY Times cookbook (Craig Claiborne) has the recipe that I use. No COM at all.

And how about that now-retro Chicken Divan??? Made properly, it's awesome. Oh - gag - I just Googled it and there are recipes with COM and mayonnaise and CORNFLAKES?? Yukko. No, no, no. Made properly, it's quite delicious. I would have to dig into my paper files for that one as well. I remember clipping a recipe from the now-defunct Gourmet back in the 80's for a version of it called "Jarlsberg Chicken Kay" and it is wonderful. I think Kay was the cook who submitted the recipe.

seagrass

I think you could sub cubed chicken for the 'shrooms in the wild rice casserole recipe. Might be pretty good, actually!

Seagrass, I love Chicken Divan! Haven't made it in a while, tho. Think I will as soon as this heat subsides!

(old photo....)

Chicken Divan

1 head broccoli, cooked and cut into florets
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 c slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter or margarine in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour; add chicken broth and stir until thick. Then stir in � c parmesan, cream, sherry or wine, salt and ground black pepper. Stir until cheese melts and mixture is thickened. Remove from heat.

Place broccoli crosswise in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 of the cream sauce over the broccoli and top with chicken slices, pour remaining sauce over the chicken slices. Sprinkle top with 1/2 c parmesan and slivered almonds.

Bake 30 minutes at 350F, then broil 5-8 minutes to brown top. Serve hot over rice or orzo pasta.

Linda

Linda, your chicken looks good! I want some. Chicken is a perfect mushroom substitution for me, so I may have wild rice on the menu very soon.

Seagrass, your post had me dig out an old recipe version of spaghetti pie I've been saving forever to try. It's a great opportunity to bring back some things for review! I remember when I saw the ''picture'' of it, it occurred to me I had the same vintage copper pan to bake it in. I got my pan cleaned and ready to go in the oven and that's as far as it went. Now that you've brought my attention back to it, it seems a good time to follow through and try this.

Yes, it's far too hot for a casserole here too, and I'm not a fan of the Ranch Chicken either. It also seems that many casseroles have pasta in them, but not all.

I like shepherd's pie, which I consider a casserole, and Spanish rice. No canned soups for me, the salt/sodium content is far too high.

Annie

Annie

Have made this even in dead of summer... outside on grill in Pyrex baking dish. Lots of THIN sliced veggies... tomatoes, onions, zukes, mushrooms... whatever you like. Layer veggies individually... has nothing to do with outcome, just looks nice. As you're layering, toss in some seasoned croutons, shredded cheese and dots of butter. I save a big pile of shredded cheese to put on top... usually for last few minutes so it just gets gooey... though brown and crusty is good, too. Since all of the veggies can be eaten raw, cooking time is what you like. I put casserole dish on one side of grill while cooking whatever protien. Usually put foil on top for part of the time... seems to speed up cooking a bit. When it starts to bubble, on goes last dose of cheese. It's one that works well heated up as left-overs.

I love making casseroles because they are fast, cheap (mostly) and filling. I don't ever use CO? soup only because I can't get it here. I had no problem using it when I lived in the States. However, I think I would limit its use now that I know how much sodium and other ingredients are in it. Most of the casseroles I make I just use cream/egg or milk/flour base.
I have included a link to a recipe I found on the internet for King's Ranch chicken with no canned soup.

Here is a link that might be useful: King's Ranch minus canned soup

Could you do a casserole in the nesco roaster? I love chicken devane. I also do some of the ones from Bisquik Imposibe pies.

From wikipedia:
King Ranch Chicken is a popular Tex-Mex casserole. Its name comes from King Ranch, the one of the largest ranches in the world, though it's unclear if it actually originated from the ranch.

Recipes vary, but generally it has a sauce made of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, diced bell pepper, onion and chunks or shreds of chicken. The bottom of the casserole is lined with corn tortillas or tortilla chips, then layered with sauce and topped with cheese.

I always assumed that King Ranch Chicken did originate at the King Ranch in some form but probably not with cream o' soups. I think it's more likely that someone tried to duplicate the recipe for the "home cook", thus the short cuts.

Every tea room type of restaurant in Texas that I've ever been too has it on the menu. Don't ask me why. It's always delicate sandwiches, salads, etc. and King Ranch Chicken. I've never ordered it and never made it. The whole idea of it doesn't appeal to me.

Usually when I cook a "casserole" it's more like a poof. I always call it mish-mosh.

stuartwanda, I think some casseroles would do better than others directly in the Nesco, because the sides get hot and so they'd get crunchy. Something relatively liquid would be better than something thicker, but I wouldn't hesitate to put anything into a casserole dish and set that into the Nesco on the rack for baking in lieu of oven baking.

I do know that scalloped potatoes do well in the Nesco and I consider that kind of a casserole.

Annie

You know there are casseroles and there are casseroles....some whole meal casseroles, some potatoes, some rice and a veggie like mushrooms, some veggies...and some are for breakfast.
If you are not looking for an all in one dish....that brings in Scalloped potatoes, potato kugle, potatoes au gratin and then all the broccoli casseroles, with cream sauce, with rice and water chesnuts, and eggplant parmesan or rollitini, lasagna of course, noodle kugle and various egg stratas and fritattas....none of which needs a can of soup to make.
Linda C

I tend to only like well made, traditional casseroles such as lasagna, chicken divan, au gratin potatoes, chicken tetrazzini etc.
I think casseroles have a bad rap because of the use of canned soups, canned foods and leftovers.

Good cooking techniques should apply to casseroles too and they can be good if properly prepared with excellent ingredients.

I've never heard of the casserole but, truth be told, I just learned about King Ranch about 2 weeks ago. Nothing in the above description of the dish interests me to try it.

As lindac said, there are casseroles and there are casseroles. Generally, I'm not interested in most of them. It always strikes me as so much work. First I have to cook this, then that, then glop it together & cook it again. It's probably not any more work than the other dishes I make but somehow I feel like it's more work. I do make lasagna a few times a year. Scalloped potatoes maybe once a year.

I have some shredded chicken in the freezer that I need to make into something like a chicken enchilada dish. So there will be a casserole type dish in my future, when I don't mind using the oven again.

Claire, I was thinking of you tonight. Tried a new recipe.. Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble topping. It was delicious! If you're interested, go to Americas Test Kitchen recipes. It's the best chicken pot pie I've ever had or made. Just happened to catch it on T.V. last Saturday. Don't usually make something like this in the summer but was curious to try it. It's something you could make ahead and just add the topping before baking it.

it's been month since I was here. Sorry about that, but a job kept me busy.

I really need some new ideas for food with left overs, to take to work.

Thanks for those yummy looking recipes. I shall try just about all of them.

Moni

Georgysmom, Thanks for thinking of me. I'll be sure to check it out, especially since I have some leftover chicken. Like Hhireno, I was going to make chicken enchiladas, but who knows which direction the chicken spirit will strike?

Annie, I like the idea of scalloped potatoes in the Nesco! The chicken went in there to cook, and I was going to roast some potatoes but my oven was going for something else. I thought about ''never baking an orphan'' and went ahead and stuck them in there.

May, my casseroles are almost always a poof, which is why they're in there! Mish Mosh is a great name for a mish-mosh of ingredients. As far as KRC being on every tea room menu...well, I'm kind of astounded by that. I thought Texans liked better food! Pity those poor ranchers.

Bumblebeez, I'm in your camp. Exactly.

Moni, try it if it sounds good to you, but it's my experience that you could skip the King Ranch Chicken.

Here is a recipe for Cazuela de Arroz con Rajas de Chile Poblano from Pati's Mexican Table, which I occasionally get to watch on one of our local PBS channels - it comes on when I am home for lunch. This recipe is very bland (but good), and so I spiced it up with a lot of hot sauce, but Kevin ate it plain. I would probably add some jalapenos to the Poblanos next time, but hot sauce works well also. I broiled the Poblanos, as Pati recommended, although I have also roasted them on an open flame, but that takes longer.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: Preparing the Poblanos

I've been meaning to post Ruthanna's Tomato Pudding recipe. Lars, you could probably spice this one up with peppers, but it works as "comfort food" for me. It's especially good with mac 'n cheese.

Sue

TOMATO PUDDING (ruthanna)

2 (1 lb.) cans stewed tomatoes
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, divided
2 Tbsp. water
1 cup Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix

In saucepan, cook tomatoes, onion, sugar, and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by half 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt other tablespoon of butter with water; stir in stuffing mix. Spread topping over tomatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomatoes are heated and topping is golden. Note: Dry bread cubes can be substituted for the stuffing mix. The tomato-onion mixture can be prepared ahead of time. Just don't add the topping until ready to bake.

I'm kind of astounded by that. I thought Texans liked better food!
LOL! Yes, mostly, they do. But there are a few things that Texans like to "stick to their guns" about, even if it seems to not make sense! We're proud, you know!

As those who have visited me can verify, we have plenty of good food here, king ranch chicken notwithstanding! ;)

A couple more for your perusal:

AMISH CHICKEN CASSEROLE

8 oz. noodles (your favorite size)
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
2 cups chicken broth (homemade or canned)
1 cup milk
1 small can mushrooms (I use pieces and stems)
2 tsp. salt (or slightly less to taste)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt margarine, then whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and broth (separately or can be mixed); then stir in seasonings and mushrooms. Combine chicken, cooked noodles and prepared sauce. Put in ungreased 9x13" baking pan and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

This can be made ahead and heated when needed but will take slightly longer to heat completely through. I have also made this in the microwave--microwave on 80% power for about 10 minutes if freshly made, longer if from refrigerator.

Optional: You can add whatever vegetables your family especially likes. We like the original version better and have the vegetables on the side along with salad.

CARIBBEAN PORK CASSEROLE

1 lb. lean pork loin, cut into 1" cubes
2 minced green onions
2 Tblsp. minced, peeled ginger
2 Tblsp. soy sauce
2 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
3 medium sweet potatoes (1-1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2" slices
1 large red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 red onion, sliced into chunks
2 green onions, cut into 2" pieces
1 Tblsp. vegetable oil
1 can (16 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix minced green onions, pork, ginger, soy sauce, Worcestershire, thyme, allspice and cayenne together and marinate for at least 30 minutes. (I just put everything in a ziploc bag, mix it up and stick it in the fridge, flipping it periodically.)

In a shallow 6-quart casserole toss the sweet potatoes, red pepper, red onion, green onions and oil. Bake uncovered 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, use cooking spray in skillet and brown half of the pork at a time (to maintain heat of pan) -- reserve marinade.

Pour pineapple chunks with juice into drippings in skillet; stir until brown bits are loosened. Add pineapple mixture, pork, and reserved marinade to vegetables.

Bake, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes longer, or until everything is tender.

From Good Housekeeping's Step by Step Cookbook.

Lars, Pati's recipe reminds me of the KRC! I can see why you might want to spice it up.

Sue, Ruthanna's Tomato Pudding looks interesting. I'll have to try that with your recommended Mac and Cheese.

May, I know there's good food in Texas, which is why that surprised me so much. (Some people will eat just about anything! ;)

Thanks Pat; those look pretty good!

As a native Texan, I have an amazing recipe for the legendary King Ranch Chicken Casserole...and no canned soup. Although some may not like the sound of it, it's wonderful...and if you are interested, I will be glad to post...just let me know. For years, I have served it at parties and when I've catered for people. Always goes over quite well!

gigi7, I would love to have your recipe, please. When I was a young woman, my family used such a recipe, but in my many moves, I lost it and all of my family has lost their's as well. We would all love to have that recipe again. TIA.

gigi7 -- would love to have your KRC casserole recipe. I'm a very picky eater and will not eat just about everything but I do like KRC every once in a while and I would like to try it without the canned soups (although I don't feel eating canned soups once in a while is all that sinful). If we all liked the same foods, life would be boring.
Thanks, Andrea

Teresa, I made your Tamale Corn Pie tonight. Although, I made just the filling and I'm going to freeze it in a casserole dish, then this weekend when my kids are here I will thaw, top it with the cheese and corn muffin mix and bake. That will save me time so I can play in the lake with those busy grand kids.

Thanks for the recipe. It smells wonderful. I think the kids will really like it too. Do you bake it at 350?

Lots of other great sounding recipes to try here.

Karen

Gigi, I'm curious and would also like your recipe. It has to be a complete upgrade to the one I tried.

Karen, I wanted to try Teresa's Tamale Corn Pie soon. Please let us know how you like it, and how it goes over with your family. Sounds like you implemented the perfect shortcut!

Ok, I will be back online in a little while...recipe coming soon....

Karen, I think 375 would be a better temp for the cornbread, until that layer is browned and baked through, probably 30-40 minutes. The layer of cornbread can vary depending on the size pan used.

Teresa

Finally here is the King Ranch Chicken as promised yesterday...sorry it took so long! I will give the recipe as it should be, but will tell you what I do a little differently. First thing to note, I always double (at least) the sauce. I have a huge family and almost everything requires a larger amount than most recipes produce! And, from being a lurker on this forum for years, I know you all are wonderful cooks, so you should be able to adjust most of this to your liking, either adding or subtracting things. So, here goes:

King Ranch Chicken

Sauce:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (I always add more than that)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (likewise add more, say at least a teaspoon)
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup chicken stock

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green chilis
1 large red ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 pound sliced button mushrooms, sliced thin (Personally, I don't use these, they don't sound exactly like Mexican food to me, but go figure)
2 cups chopped chicken (I use poached breasts, but you can use whatever)
4 tablespoons (approximately) chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped pimiento stuffed olives (I use black because my family likes them better)
Salt

About 12 corn tortillas
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a medium baking dish.

Prepare the sauce: Melt butter over medium heat and add flour, chili powder and cumin, whisking until smooth. Add half and half with stock, simmering until thick. season with salt. Use a little more liquid if it gets too thick. I ALWAYS NEED MORE OF THIS!!!

Prepare the filling: warm butter in a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion until it softens. add green chilis, mushrooms, and tomato. Saute until the vegetables are well-softened, but not browned. Stir in chicken and stock, olives (if you're using them) and salt to taste.

Layer tortillas, filling, and sauce in the baking dish, sprinkling on cheese in between. Last layer should be cheese, and I put the green onions on after baking. This can be made at least a day in advance. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and heated through.

All you really need is a great salad and maybe some wonderful homemade salsa and chips. Oh, and a great dessert! Preferably something chocolate or lemon. But that's my suggestion only!

Note: Like I previously stated, I always increase this enough to make a 3 quart casserole or big deep dish. Usually that means way more chicken and about a pound of grated cheddar. It freezes beautifully and you can certainly adjust everything to your liking, spices, etc.
I also use a can of Rotel tomatoes in the sauce or in the filling mixture. Because I like it!

If you have any questions please let me know and thanks for at least giving this another chance....no canned soup necessary and it seriously doesn't take that much longer to do!

Kathy

Kathy, Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'll try it before I take King Ranch Chicken off my radar. It has to be better than the one I made!

Thanks, Kathy, your recipe sounds yummy and I will be making it soon.

Andrea

Thanks Kathy - Already made it! I never heard of KRC until this thread, and I wasn't tempted by the recipes I found online. But your recipe sounded good and it gave me a perfect opportunity to use up some thighs I recently found buried in the freezer. Earlier today I thawed and poached them gently in stock, then I threw the rest of the casserole together this evening. We really liked it and it's a definite repeat!

Just for reference, I used a heavy two cups of chicken, roughly 1.5 times the sauce from the recipe, five 8" tortillas (I think) and a half pound of cheese, and that seemed to be good proportions to fill up an 8x8 baking dish nicely.

Thanks again. Now I have to re-read the whole thread; surely there are some other keepers in here!

FOAS, that is great! Glad to hear of another good review, and I'll definitely put this on my list to try very soon. I seem to remember I have some shredded chicken in my freezer, all ready to go.

Yay! I'm so glad you liked it, FOAS! It's pretty fool-proof and I hope others like it as well. I have always hesitated to post much here (have no idea why), but love this forum. I'm a cookbook collector and love to try new things, although I usually revert back to the same ol' things often. I definitely consider myself a "from scratch" cook whether it be these casseroles without canned soup (!) or bread or desserts....and I love sharing! I couldn't resist the subject this time!

Gigi, I'm so glad you couldn't resist, and hope you won't in the future, either! And...Welcome To The Cooking Forum. Please jump right in, I'm certain we can all use your input.

It's this forum that helped me start making my own hamburger buns (which I seem to use for most everything including burgers), and the place where some of my best recipes come from. As much as I love my cookbooks (I collect them too), some of my most treasured recipes have come straight from the Cooking Forum!

Gigi, thank you so much. Your recipe sounds exactly like what we used to prepare, except for the tomato. I don't recall tomato being in the one we used to make. Can't wait to try this.

Kathy, I just wanted to jump in here and say Welcome to the Cooking Forum. It's lots more fun to post than it is to lurk, and I'll look forward to hearing from you more often.

Annie

Yum! I made Ruthanna's Tomato Pudding casserole tonight to go with my Sticky Chicken. I halved the recipe and followed it to a T - very good and much easier than my usual Scalloped Tomatoes recipe that I *used* to love.

Thank you!
Teresa

Hi,
2 1 lb cans is what...2 or 4 cups? Thanks.
Sapphires

a pint's a pound the world around..pretty much. So a 1 pound can would be about 2 cups....but less if you are draining the contents.

ty lindac

Sapphires, I think this is one of those recipes in which the actual amounts/proportions don't matter much. I can't find 16-oz cans of stewed tomatoes any more, so I usually buy two 14.5-oz cans or one 28-oz can. I suppose the amount of liquid varies a bit, but when it's cooked, the liquid is reduced anyway. BTW, I often top it with cornbread crumbs--yum!

Sue

Teresa nc, We ate the Tamale Corn Pie over the weekend. It was wonderful. My daughter loved it so much she said she would rather eat it instead of dessert. Wow, and I made here favorite cherry pie.

Thanks for the recipe. I will be making this often.

I have already saved this thread for future use.

Karen

We like Shipwreck..I like to make it in cooler weather
Its a layered dish,
1 layer can kidney beans
1 layer of sliced potatoes
1 layer of onions sliced,
1 layer of gr chuck
keep relayering the more layers the longer it takes in oven You can also add your favorites,after all layering add 1 can tomato soup,shredded chedder bake again depends how big a casserole.kind of like a stew good.

I made this one up off the top of my head today and it's pretty darn good!

TEX-MEX CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

1 cup long grain rice
2 cups boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 Tblsp. butter
2 cups leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, well-drained
1-1/3 cups sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Cook rice according to directions in water with salt and butter. Combine rice, Ro-Tel tomatoes, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, and 1-1/2 cups of the cheese. Turn into a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F. oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and rice is heated through. Serves 6 to 8.

As we all know,
Taste is subjective.
What is wonderful to you,
May be dog food to me.
And visa versa.

That being said,
I will say that there are a LOT of versions
Of the King Ranch Casserole,
aka King Ranch Chicken.
Most I don't particulary care for,
(I do not like corn tortillas in any way, shape or form)
But some are really good.
And while it is true that it is served
In many so-called "Tea Rooms",
Ranchers seldom order it.
(Not many true ranchers eat in Tea Rooms)

Where it got its name has always been a mystery to me.
I live within walking distance of the main gate
for the King Ranch.
I've taken many visitors on the tour.
And to my knowledge,
Chickens are not something that's ever been raised there.
Perhaps one of their chefs got tired of
the ubiquitous beef?

Anyhow, here is a casserole recipe we like,
Usually a side dish,
But could be an entree, I suppose.

Squash Casserole
(from an early 1980's Southern Living)

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
4 large yellow squash, sliced*
2 green onions, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C Swiss cheese, shredded
3/4 C Cheddar cheese, shredded

Method:
Fry bacon in a large skillet until crisp,
Drain on papre towels.
Crumble and set aside.
Reserve drippings.
Saute squash & onions in drippings 8 to 10 minutes.
Combine egg & sour cream,
Add to squash mixture.
Stir in half the bacon.
Spoon half the squash mixture into a greased 2 qt casserole.
Sprinkle swiss cheese over top.
Spoon remaining squash mixture over cheese.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top,
Top with remaining bacon.
Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes (until bubbly)
Yield: 6 servings

* Can use zucchini, patty pan, or a mixture of summer squashes.
It's all good.

Rusty