Wheat/Grain Free King Ranch Casserole

Wheat Free, Grain Free King Ranch Casserole

King Ranch Casserole is a uniquely Texan dish, like bean-less chili, dry rub barbecue or Texas sheet cake with melted on icing.  Typically it's made of cooked chicken (but you can use pork in a pinch, like I did here), onions, peppers, and tortillas in a cheesy, tomato-cream cheese sauce.  Sorry, this one can't be made dairy free.  As a substitute for the normal torn up pieces of tortillas, I used peeled and thinly sliced pieces of yellow squash (just keep peeling pieces until it's all gone).

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T pickled jalapeno (or other peppers)
1 t olive oil or butter
1 lb cooked chicken, chopped into 1/2" sections - can use pork
1-2 yellow squash, peeled and using the peeler, make egg noodle sized bits.  Can use zucchini squash.
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1/2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 T coconut flour
2 T almond flour
2 eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Brown onion and garlic, add peppers and chicken in an oven proof pan or casserole dish that's stove top safe.  If you don't have one, move from a pan to a casserole after all ingredients are combined.  While the vegetables and chicken are browning, mix tomatoes, spices, flours, and eggs and stir until flours are all evenly distributed.  Stir into vegetable/chicken mixture and add squash and heat until squash is cooked and turn off burner.  Add the sour cream/tomato mixture and stir.  Add cheese and melt.  Place into 350 degree oven and cook until bubbly.

This may still be more runny than the normal King Ranch Casserole would be.  That's the difficulty with substituting vegetables for pasta or tortillas.  Normally the taste and consistency may be just fine but the pasta or tortillas will absorb liquid while veggies give off liquid.  Adding the eggs and flours compensate for that somewhat, but it still might be soft when you take it out of the oven.  It will thicken as it cools though.

Serve with traditional Mexican garnishes like avocado, shredded lettuce, salsa or tomato.

Makes about 9 servings - each serving 236 calories, 7.6 grams carbohydrates, 2.4 grams fiber.