50 States; 50 Meals: Texas

What we had for dinner:

 

King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch of South Texas is one of the largest ranches in the world.  The story behind this dish is that a ranch hand created the casserole to feed hundreds of ranch workers.  It donned on me that my family has been making this casserole since I was in high school we just didn't know what it was called.  We always called it the Mexican casserole with the torn corn tortillas.  This recipe is so good that my mom would always send in leftovers to my boss. Mostly because he demanded it. It is listed on My Recipes website as their most popular casserole. 

Here is a lightened version by Southern Living.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded (Don't buy pre-shredded reduced-fat cheese.  It doesn't melt as well)

Directions

Sauté onion and bell pepper in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients; remove from heat.
Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third tortilla pieces in bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with one-third chicken mixture and one-third cheese. Repeat layers twice.
Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.
Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Texas Sheet Cake

This cake is so delicious.  I wasn't allowed to take the left-overs to work good.  I made Cooking Light's recipe.  We certainly didn't feel like we were eating a "light" recipe.  It was pretty easy to make too for being a non-baker. 

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, divided
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, divided
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup fat-free milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Coat a 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour. Set aside.
Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add to flour mixture. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 375° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack.
Combine 6 tablespoons butter, fat-free milk, and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in powdered sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread over hot cake. Sprinkle cake with pecans. Cool completely on wire rack.

You can also bake the cake in a 15 x 10-inch jellyroll pan at 375° for 17 minutes.

Next State: Utah