Chicken a la King
Happy Sunday friends! I enjoyed a relaxing Saturday catching up on rest from coordinating a big convention last weekend at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for my day job. Everything went relatively smoothly and I so enjoyed hanging out with some amazing people. While Las Vegas is fun, I am always happy to come home. I was fortunate and won $75, so I treated myself to a beautiful bracelet from Tory Burch. These conventions are wonderful, but they are a ton of work and a little gift to myself was in order :).
Today I’m doing one of things I love doing the most, and that is writing a blog post!
Chicken a la King is a dish my mom used to make when my siblings and I were growing up. She used a recipe from my grandmother that is nowhere to be found, so I decided to create my own. Chicken a la King is the epitome of comfort food with its rich, creamy sauce, chicken and veggies. Preparation is super quick and easy and the recipe can be doubled to feed a crowd.
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Grandma and mom always made Chicken a la King served in Puff Pastry shells, so that’s the way that I like it best. The flaky shells have great, slightly crunchy texture in contrast with the creamy filling. If you don’t want to serve it with puff pastry, you can always serve it on a bed of egg noodles or over biscuits.
The Puff Pastry Shells just bake up in the oven on an un-greased cookie sheet. Super simple!
For the sauce, start by making a roux, which is a fancy word for butter and flour cooked together. Simply melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a sauté pan then add 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour and cook until the flour has absorbed into the butter and is cooked completely. This only takes about a minute or so. Add the 3 small cloves of minced garlic and cook for another minute. Next, add 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 cup of half and half. I prefer to use half and half to heavy cream or whole milk. It’s lighter both in calories and in taste. I find heavy cream to be too rich for my liking. Season the sauce with 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens.
Add the cooked chicken and frozen peas and carrots to the sauce and simmer until the vegetables have thawed. I like using grilled chicken for easy preparation, but you can bake it or cut it into cubes and cook in a skillet or use a rotisserie chicken. Mushrooms are also a great addition, but since my girls don’t like mushrooms, I made this recipe without.
Look at that creamy goodness!
Once the veggies have defrosted and heated through, fill the Puff Pastry Shells with the chicken mixture and top with a little fresh parsley. You know I am all about fresh herbs. They had a beautiful pop of color and freshness to every dish. Parsley is extremely flavorful, so you don’t need a lot of it.
I don’t mean to brag, but this recipe makes THE most delicious Chicken a la King that I’ve ever tasted and I hope you will feel the same after you’ve tried it.
There you have it, my simple, homemade Chicken a la King. Do yourself a favor and make it for your family and snap a photo and tag #ketchumkitchen on Social Media. Leave me a comment and let me know how it turned out and if you added any other veggies or made any other variations to the recipe. I’d love to hear your take on it!
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen, where everything, without exception, is made from the ♥. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any new recipes!
Ingredients
- 3 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Package Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Shells
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Puff Pastry Shells according to package directions
- In a saute pan on medium heat, melt the butter then add the flour and cook until the flour is cooked through (about a minute or so)
- Add the garlic and saute for another minute
- Add the chicken stock, half and half, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook until the sauce has thickened (it should stick to the back of a spoon)
- Add the chicken and peas and carrots and continue cooking until the veggies have thawed and are heated through (about 3-5 minutes.)
- Remove the tops from the Puff Pastry Shells and fill with the chicken mixture.
- Top with fresh parsley.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Chicken a la King
Serves: 6
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 311.7 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 20.8 g | 30.8% | |
| Saturated Fat 9.22 g | 45% | |
| Trans Fat 0.31 g | ||
| Cholesterol 58.58 mg | 19.3% | |
| Sodium 409.65 mg | 17% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 19.3 g | 6.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 1.31 g | 4% | |
| Sugars 3.86 g | ||
| Protein 12.0 g | ||
| Vitamin A 367.96 µg | Vitamin C 5.05 mg | |
| Calcium 70.91 mg | Iron 0.85 mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ketchum Kitchen
