King Ranch Casserole
A delicious make ahead dinner - Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free!
Hello and happy new recipe Thursday!
Today, I'm diving into uncharted territory – making a dairy-free version of King Ranch Casserole. More to come on this “experiment” below.
We had the sweetest time away as a family for spring break. Asher’s baseball tournament ended up getting canceled for rain (we planned our entire trip around it HAHA), but we just chalked it up as more family time in a beautiful place. I’m up to my eyeballs in laundry from the trip, swimming in emails from my OOO autoresponder, and trying to stock the fridge with easy dinners.
OH! And I’m doing a final test on the Pound Cake this week because Danita sent in her feedback!
Back to the King Ranch Casserole.
This recipe came as a request through a “Question box” on Instagram a few months ago by Amber J, and it reminded me that it’s been on my “to-create” list ever since I wrote Eat What You Love and mastered the recreations of a few of my childhood favorites - Poppyseed Chicken and Chicken Divan.
Surprisingly, I've never sampled it before, despite receiving numerous requests over the years. It's shocking, considering my upbringing was filled with my mom's casseroles at least a few days a week! I am a California-born, Colorado-raised girl though, and my mom’s family was midwestern, so this Texas-standard was not in our repertoire despite being so similar to so many dishes we made.
My mom’s creamy corn casserole comes to mind - Hatch chiles, cans of corn, sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Or her Poppy Seed Chicken - chicken, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, poppyseeds, Ritz crackers, cheese.
My stomach hurts now just typing those ingredients. But the memories are so good. 😊
Remember the days when practically every dish that hit the dinner table had a can of cream of mushroom soup and a tub of sour cream in it? That was my childhood.
Nostalgic Creamy Casseroles
Whether it was a casserole or a box of Hamburger Helper, those two ingredients were the foundation of most of the recipes I learned how to make as a kid. Oh, and we mustn't forget my grandma’s “Shepherd’s Pie,” a dish that tastes nothing like a true Shepherd’s Pie (or even a Cottage Pie), but is absolutely packed with nostalgia and delicious flavors. And of course lots of sour cream and cream of mushroom soup. And cheese.
Those casseroles were like a warm hug on a plate, were budget-friendly, and were easy to make. But they weren't exactly the healthiest option, and since changing my diet to manage my autoimmune disease nearly 14 years ago, I’ve been on a constant quest to recreate them.
So, here I am, taking the leap today and hoping I don’t let my lovely Texan readers down. Or make you feel personally affronted for ruining your potluck classic. I will say - I sent this to a few friends who did grow up eating this casserole classic, and they all gave it their approval!
For the longest time, I figured King Ranch Casserole must feature ranch dressing. Or at least the flavors found in it. After much reading, and conferring with my dear friends in Texas, I have found that it does not, in fact, have ranch in it all. It hails from a ranch called King Ranch, in Texas, one of the largest ranches in the United States. The exact origins of the dish are somewhat unclear, but it is believed to have been popularized in the mid-20th century as a comforting Tex-Mex creation.
So. How do we make this dairy-free and paleo-friendly?
I've been leaning towards brands like KiteHill and Miyokos for their dairy-free alternatives. I love their commitment to simple ingredients. None of that mile-long ingredient list nonsense – just good ingredients that we can pronounce.
And let's not forget Siete – those grain-free tortillas have revolutionized the way we GF people enjoy Tex-Mex classics. But for those adhering to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) or GAPS - honestly - thinly sliced zucchini serves as a worthy sub.
To cheese or not to cheese?
King Ranch (from what I’ve heard from you, and read on the internet) is normally laden with shredded melted cheese on top. If you tolerate dairy, feel free to add cheese!
I would likely add manchego or another sheep’s milk cheese like LambChopper by Cypress Grove because I tolerate sheep and goat’s milk cheese much better than cow’s dairy.
If you tolerate cow’s milk dairy - I always suggest going for a sharp cheddar that is made from grass-fed cow’s milk. Raw cheeses are also usually tolerated better due to the protein structure.
Shall we dive in and grab a fork?
D
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Dairy-Free King Ranch Casserole
Servings : 6
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