I guess this is another "oh, those weird Texans!" thing.  But like, I actually LIKE this casserole.  And that is a sentence you will rarely hear (read?) me say.

Picture a tray of enchiladas that haven't been confined to individual tortillas.  That's basically this.  Which is basically awesome.  So basically, you're welcome.

Ranchero Casserole

Prep time: 30 minutes   Cook time: 20 minutes   Total time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Directions

Ingredients

  1. *Skip to step 5 if using store-bought rotisserie chicken and broth*
  2. Roast the chicken according to directions and allow to cool enough so that it is safe to handle.  Pick as much of the meat off of the bones as you can, placing the skin aside for snacking or other use and saving the carcass for bone broth if the chicken is pastured.
  3. Save chicken meat in the fridge in a sealed container and make the bone broth.
  4. After 24 hours or more, the broth is ready.  Remove it from the slow cooker, setting 2 cups aside, and allow to cool before pouring into a sealable container (I use a giant mason jar) and storing the rest in the fridge. 
  5. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  6. Slice plantains into 1/3rds width-wise and then slice those pieces into 1/3rds again length-wise, so you end up with 9 long chip-looking pieces.  
  7. Fry plantain pieces in the coconut oil until light brown, as if preparing them like Tostones (but don't smash them).  Sprinkle sea sat on them while cooking, as desired.
  8. Grease a 9x13 cake pan or casserole dish with some extra coconut oil and spread the cooked plantain pieces along the bottom.  These are your "corn tortillas."
  9. In a large mixing bowl, stir bone broth, arrowroot starch, diced tomatoes + hatch chiles, and Pico de Gallo until evenly mixed.  It should resemble a thick, cream-of-chicken-like broth.  If it is too thin for your liking, add more arrowroot starch, one Tbsp at a time, until desired thickness is reached.
  10. Stir in shredded chicken and about 1/2 of the Salsa Fresca. 
  11. Dump contents of mixing bowl on top of the plantains in the casserole dish and spread out evenly.
  12. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the broth mixture, if you're using it.  Sprinkle cilantro on the very top.
  13. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the casserole has set into itself a bit.
  14. Serve with remaining salsa on top and enjoy!

1 3-4 lb roasted chicken, like the Crispy Skin Roasted Chicken by Grass Fed Salsa (or use a rotisserie from the grocery store!)

2 cans diced tomatoes + hatch chiles 

2 cups chicken bone broth (homemade or Pacific brand)

1/2 cup arrowroot starch

1/2-1 batch of Fire in the Hole Pico de Gallo, depending on preferred spice level

1 batch Salsa Fresca

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 green plantains, sliced into 1/3rds both ways

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 cup grass-fed cheese, shredded (if you eat dairy)

Sea salt, to taste