King Ranch Chicken Casserole

1 (4 1/2 to 5 lb) whole chicken
2 celery ribs, cut into 3 pieces
2 carrots, cut into 3 pieces
2 1/2 to 3 tsp salt
2 TBS butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
12 ( 6 inch) fajita-size corn tortillas, cut into 1/2" strips

Boil chicken, celery, carrots and salt in dutch oven for 50-60 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove from heat and reserve 3/4 cup of cooking liquid.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet. add onion, and saute 6 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add bell pepper and garlic, and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in reserved 3/4 cup liquid, cream of mushroom soup and next 5 ingredients. Cook, stirring occassionally, 8 minutes.

Skin and bone chicken; shread into bite size pieces. Layer half of chicken in a lightly greased 13x9 pan. Top with half of soup mixture and 1 cup of cheese. Cover with half of tortillas. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.