King Ranch Chicken Casserole

PREPARE THE CHICKEN

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
2. Rub olive oil all over chicken breasts and then liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until internal temp is 165°F.  Using an instant-read thermometer ensures proper doneness.  Let cool, then remove skin and then cut meat from the bone and roughly chop.  Set aside.
3. Alternatively, remove the skin from 2 rotisserie chickens, then remove meat and roughly chop, set aside. 

MAKE THE FILLING

1. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
2. Add onion, bell peppers, jalapeño and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft and starting to brown.
3. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and 1½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
5. Using a whisk, incorporate the stock into the vegetables.  Whisking to remove any lumps from the flour.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes, or until thickened.  Mix in the tomatoes, green chilies and sour cream.  Remove from the heat.
6. In a separate bowl, stir together the shredded chicken with the cilantro and then add to the vegetable mixture. 

PREPARE THE TORTILLAS

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  
2. Add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the skillet and then add a tortilla, and swirl around. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom and starting to crisp. About 1 minute. Flip, and repeat with the other side.  Repeat with each tortilla, adding more oil as needed.
3. Alternatively, use roughly chopped corn tortilla chips instead of the skillet-fried tortillas.

ASSEMBLE THE DISH

1. Spray the bottoms and sides of either a large cast-iron skillet, or a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Line the bottom of the skillet (or baking dish) with tortillas, slightly overlapping.  You can quarter another tortilla to fill the open spaces between the tortillas.  Or, if using chopped tortilla chips, line the bottom with a layer of them. 
3. Add half of the chicken/veggie mixture and then a third of the cheese.  Repeat this process once.  Top with remaining tortillas (or chips) and cheese.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  (375°F)
5. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.  Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.