Kid-Friendly Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This week’s American Heart Association recipe features a dish for the whole family. The Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole has a heart-healthy twist on the classic American chicken dish that will be devoured in minutes.

Serves six

Ingredients:

– Cooking spray

– 2 lb. boneless, skinless, uncooked chicken breast cutlets or 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast

– 10.75 oz. canned, low-sodium, condensed Cream of Mushroom soup (1 can 25% less sodium)

– 14.5 oz. no-salt-added, diced tomatoes (1 can)

– 15.25 oz. canned, no-salt-added corn kernels (1 can), drained, rinsed

– 1 Tbsp. no-salt-added chili powder

– 14.4 oz. packaged, frozen pepper stir-fry (onions and peppers), thawed and drained of any liquid (1 bag)

– 8 6 – inch tortillas (cut into 1-inch strips)

– 1/2 cup shredded, fat-free cheddar cheese

– 4 oz. canned, diced green chiles (1 can), drained, rinsed, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Coat a large nonstick pan with cooking spray and warm to medium-high heat. Add chicken cutlets and sauté until fully-cooked, about seven to eight minutes per side depending on thickness. Transfer chicken to a plate and cut chicken into a few pieces to cool quickly. When able to handle, cut chicken into cubes.

3. In a large bowl, add condensed soup. Into the bowl, let kids add drained tomatoes, drained corn, and chile powder, along with thawed stir-fry vegetables (and drained green chiles if using). Add cooked chicken and let kids use a spoon to stir mixture until combined.

4. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch Pyrex or baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the corn tortillas into 1-inch strips. Pour 1/3 chicken mixture on the bottom of the dish, using a spatula to make into an even layer. Have kids layer half the tortillas strips on top of chicken mixture. Repeat once more with 1/3 chicken mixture in an even layer and remaining tortilla strips. Then, have kids top with remaining 1/3 chicken mixture in an even layer. Have kids sprinkle cheese on top.

5. Bake in oven until warmed through and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit five minutes. Then, cut and serve.

Quick Tips:

Keep it Healthy – Turn this recipe into a healthy dip for gatherings. Just omit the tortillas from the recipe. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except cheese, plus one or two chopped fresh jalapenos (if you like it spicy) and one can rinsed and drained low-sodium black beans or pinto beans. Pour into the greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Top with avocado chunks and serve with whole-grain pita chips.

Tip: No time to thaw the bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables? No problem. Just put them in a colander and rinse with cold water for a few minutes until thawed. Then, press vegetables down against the colander to squeeze liquid from them to use in recipe.