The one I grew up eating in East Texas. Accept no substitutes.
- Carbohydrate 181.723945 g
- Cholesterol 197.891666666667 mg
- Fat 65.44905 g
- Fiber 24.8316840809981 g
- Protein 71.6213383333333 g
- Saturated Fat 25.823992 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (742g)
- Sodium 1472.35933333333 mg
- Sugar 156.892260919002 g
- Trans Fat 5.97575333333334 g
- Calories 1573 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil the chicken until it falls off the bones.
- Tear up the tortillas and put enough on the bottom of the caserole dish to just cover the bottom.
- Shred the chicken into medium sized chunks and put it in the dish.
- Put the rest of the tortillas on top of that.
- Cut up the cheese into 1" squares and put on top of the tortillas.
- Mix the other ingredients in a bowl and pour over top of casserole.
- Place in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
Can this bake be assembled ahead and held in the refrigerator? Assembled casseroles sit safely for up to twenty-four hours before baking, though the corn tortillas will absorb more liquid over time and yield a softer texture. Wrap the unbaked dish tightly in plastic wrap to prevent surface drying. Pull the pan from the refrigerator thirty minutes prior to the oven to take the chill off the center.
Freezing works well for this dish either before or after cooking. Wrap the dish in a layer of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Consume frozen unbaked casseroles within three months for optimal flavor. Thaw frozen portions entirely in the refrigerator over twenty-four hours before baking at four hundred degrees.
Reheating single portions requires gentle heat to keep the processed cheese sauce from breaking. Microwave individual squares at medium power in short intervals, or warm them in a three hundred fifty degree oven until heated through. Cover the top with foil during the first fifteen minutes of reheating if the edges brown too quickly.
Swapping canned cream soups for scratch-made roux alters the thickening power and moisture balance of the sauce. Processed cheese melts smoothly due to emulsifiers, whereas natural cheddar requires grated anti-caking agents or manual whisking to avoid oil separation. Adjust salt levels carefully if substituting homemade stock for canned condensed soup bases.
