Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9x13 casserole dish.
In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper in extra virgin olive oil until they're warmed through.
Lower the heat and add in the cream of chicken soup, Rotel, chicken broth, sour cream, chili powder, sea salt, ground cumin, and garlic powder and mix until the ingredients are well-combined. Set aside a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sauce mixture. Stir in the cooked chicken until incorporated.
Assembling The Casserole
Spread reserved sauce mixture onto the bottom of the casserole dish.
Layer 4 taco shells (cut into quarters) on top of the sauce mixture.
Spread 1 1/2 cups of the chicken mixture next followed by a sprinkling of cheese.
Layer another 4 shells (cut into quarters) in dish.
Spread another 2 cups of the chicken mixture.
Sprinkle and additional layer of cheese.
Layer another 4 shells (cut into quarters) on top of ingredients.
Spread the remaining chicken mixture on top.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until bubbling in a preheated oven at 350F.
If desired, you can broil the dish for a few minutes - but keep an eye on it under the broiler as it can quickly burn.
Notes
This recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken. You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken breast, or simply sear 2 chicken breasts in a skillet before beginning.
You can substitute with cream of mushroom if desired or use 1 can of each.
We like to use Tex Mex blend cheese, but you can easily substitute with your favorite cheese. Jack and cheddar cheese are great options.
Corn tortillas are layered throughout giving structure to the casserole. You can substitute with flour tortillas if desired. We prefer to use corn tortillas as they don't seem to soak up as much of the surrounding ingredients compared to flour, but either or will work just fine.
If desired, you can add a can of diced jalapenos or diced green chiles to the Rotel mixture. Do note that Rotel already has diced green chiles incorporated into the tomatoes.
Garnish your king ranch casserole with fresh diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, green onions, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream.
STORAGE - Store leftovers with an air-tight lid or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. As this casserole sits, the tortillas will lose some of their structural integrity which means it may be soggier when reheated. Reheat in a 300F oven for around 10 minutes or until warmed through.
FREEZING - You can freeze the baked and fully cooled casserole for up to 1 month. Wrap it well in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Be sure to let the casserole cool completely before doing so. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. If you are using a glass baking dish, allow it to rest at room temperature until the chill is taken off before placing it in the oven to rewarm.