King Ranch Chicken for Two Recipe

King Ranch Chicken for two is just the right size for a weeknight dinner.

Casseroles are some of my favorite meals.

I love the whole process of making a casserole: cooking the meat, gathering the other mix-ins, stirring everything together in a big bowl, and finally topping it all off with cheese before sliding it into the oven.

The whole process is an ordeal, but one that feeds your family at least two meals.

But, if it’s just the two of you, it feeds you for a month! And suddenly, casserole is the last thing you want to eat on the eighth day.

Even salad starts to look appetizing with its freshness. That’s a dangerous road to be on, my friends.

So, I set my sights on miniaturizing casseroles to serve two, because no one should eat the same dinner eight days in a row. Variety is the spice of life!

First up: my favorite Tex-Mex casserole: King Ranch Chicken. King Ranch got its name because it was the largest ranch at one time in south Texas.

While it’s still operating today, it’s under much smaller ownership.

I think often of the women who had to cook for these cowboys back in the day when the ranch was almost one million acres with thousands of cattle.

I imagine this casserole came together by accident one day: torn leftover tortillas, tomatoes and jalapeños from the garden, chicken and cheese for good measure.

It’s a fabulous combination of ingredients that has stood the test of time.

To make casseroles for two, I like to use 10-oz ramekins. They are slightly larger than the typical 6-oz crème brûlée ramekins you may be used to.

If you can’t find these ramekins, I suggest a small baking dish that is about the size of half of a standard brownie pan.

If you have four to feed, double the recipe and bake it in the brownie pan.

Round up the ingredients, and put a little taste of Texas in your kitchen today!

Also try my Tuna Noodle Casserole for two! And don't forget the sides - homemade Red Lobster biscuits are a perfect match, and  so is this roasted broccoli recipe.

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