Chicken a la King
Rich and creamy, with a hint of sophistication, Chicken a la King is like adult comfort food. Serve in pastry cups or over rice or toast.. 
Thanksgiving had an interesting start. I had planned to get up early to bake pies for a holiday meal at my brother’s. But I got up a little earlier than I expected.
Around 5 AM, I heard a thump and rustle in the closet. In the gray fog of sleep, it sounded like cats playing. My first impulse was to yell, but then I stopped and muttered… this sounds like mouse hunting. [Bleep]
I flipped on the lights on and quickly confirmed my suspicions. Well at least I wasn’t going to oversleep.
Chicken a la king (for after mouse hunting)
Alas, as of this writing, the mouse is still at large. My husband is smearing peanut butter on traps (grateful we had some—can you imagine looking for mousetraps on Thanksgiving?).
I am offering thanks for having left a pair of shoes downstairs so I don’t need to fetch them from the closet.
One must give thanks on this holiday!
Cook in one pan
Another thing I am grateful for is the resurrection of this childhood recipe. Perfect for turkey leftovers at Thanksgiving or easy using canned chicken anytime.
Serve in pastry cups or over rice
I updated this recipe from my childhood version, using red bell peppers instead of pimentos. I try to avoid a canned food, if a fresh (or home frozen) will work. I also added carrots (“add a veggie”) and sherry. It was rich and creamy with a hint of sophistication from the sherry. Served in puff pastry cups, you can also top rice, or well… leftover mashed potatoes!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Perfect for leftover turkey!
Chicken a la King
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter divided
- 1/2 cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1 onion diced small
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 cup chicken stock plus extra as needed
- 1/4 cup dry sherry can use additional chicken stock
- 2 cups canned chicken or bite sized leftover chicken or turkey
- See notes for serving suggestions
Instructions
- Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat..
- Add peppers, carrots, mushroom and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5-10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl/plate and reserve.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in pan. Whisk in flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Very gradually whisk in chicken stock, then half and half and sherry. Bring to a low simmer, stir and cook until thickened, 5-10 minutes. If mixture gets too thick, whisk in a little more stock or water.
- Stir in cooked vegetables and chicken pieces. Cook until warmed through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm in pastry shells or over rice, toast or mashed potatoes.
I do hope you were able to trap the mouse and the rest of your day was enjoyable. Your chicken a la king looks very delicious and festive on the plate.
We seem to be getting trap-wise mice this fall. At least the cats are still smarter. Hopefully this is it for the year. Fall seems to be the time they come in so finger’s crossed.
Oh, I remember hearing the mice in our walls in Maine! I could never just roll over and go back to sleep – ugh! Good luck!
I don’t think I have ever had Chicken à la King – but we roasted two chickens yesterday and only ate half of one! I think I know what’s on the menu for the weekend!
The cats finally got it. And a second we didn’t know existed. So I really hope that’s all. The joys of an older house…