King Ranch Casserole is an iconic south Texas dish, and this recipe doesn’t veer too far from its roots. This is a simple, satisfying casserole that’s easy to assemble and bake off after a day of scouting, hunting and roosting birds.

This is a great way to utilize wings, necks, drumsticks and thighs. Here I used a couple of thighs, a neck and a lonely wing, slow cooking them first and shredding the meat, while saving the resulting broth for this casserole and a future use.

King Ranch Casserole is an iconic south Texas dish, and this recipe doesn’t veer too far from its roots, though it's traditionally made with chicken and there's no clear connection between the King Ranch and chicken, as far as I know. This is a simple, satisfying casserole that’s easy to assemble and bake off after a day of scouting, hunting and roosting birds. 

Serves 4-6

1 turkey leg quarter

6 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

2 poblano peppers, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 ½ tsp cumin

1 tbsp guajillo or other chile powder

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel or canned tomatoes with green chiles, drained

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper

1 cup sour cream

18 corn tortillas

2 ½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Menonita, Jack)

In a slow cooker or large pot over low heat, cook the turkey leg quarter, covered by 2-3 inches of water until tender, about 5-7 hours. Remove the leg quarter and shred the meat, discarding the bones and sinews. Strain the broth through a fine strainer and reserve 2 cups, freezing the remaining broth for another use.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, poblanos, bell pepper, cumin and chile powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir well to combine. 

Add the milk, 2 cups of the reserved turkey broth and the Ro-Tel and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the shredded turkey and the sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread ¼ of the turkey and pepper sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13” casserole dish. Distribute ¼ of the shredded cheese over this layer, then lay 6 tortillas over this. Add another ¼ of the sauce, followed by more cheese and another layer of tortillas. Repeat this process, ending with the sauce and a final layer of cheese.

Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.