Is Chicken a la King still a thing?

There's a really good frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu that I buy sometimes. I serve it with "Malibu" sauce that you used to get with the chicken from Sizzler. It's mayo and mustard combined. Nostalgic. LOL

[-]

Cross_22@reddit

Please share the brand for the cordon bleu!

[-]

GirlScoutSniper@reddit

Barber Foods. They also make a chicken Kiev that my boys love, and I adore the apple and brie one.

[-]

Mediocre_Lobster6398@reddit

Yes! They also make a scallop and lobster one too.

[-]

A_Downboat_Is_A_Sub@reddit

I never even thought of frozen ones, I might have to try them.

I buy the refrigerated Winchester Farms ones from Lidl occasionally, though I like the mozzarella and tomato ones a little more.

[-]

Cazmonster@reddit

My wife’s nostalgia food is Sizzler’s Malibu Chicken.

[-]

GirlScoutSniper@reddit

It was my favorite! For years I made one with chicken patties, ham and swiss cheese. :)

[-]

DocDerry@reddit

I still make Chicken cordon bleu. I love it.

[-]

Shamus-McNasty@reddit

Me too!

And Chicken Kiev

[-]

DocDerry@reddit

I don't care for dill but I will make a kiev for my daughter when I make cordon bleu.

[-]

balthisar@reddit

I still make Chicken cordon bleu.

Yeah, same.

And I probably make chicken and pasta that people might call chicken a la king. It's just pasta, chicken, and a sauce with some veggies. Mine doesn't come from a can or convenient box, and tastes awesome.

[-]

DocDerry@reddit

I'll do a chicken and creme sauce with carrots and broccoli. It's closer to an alfredo than ala king though.

[-]

x86_64_@reddit

Holy shit seafood newburg. I definitely havent heard that since the 90s.

[-]

Unusual_Memory3133@reddit

It began as a fine dining restaurant dish in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. The boil in bag version we knew is a pale imitation of the real thing. During Covid, I went down a cooking rabbit hole and learned to make it. If anyone is interested, the best recipe for it is in James Beard’s Book American Cookery, or this article has a very close recipe to Beard’s and also gives a history of the dish. I urge anyone who likes chicken à la king to try the real thing!

[-]

automator3000@reddit

The boil in a bag version?

This was a mainstay of my mom’s rotation, and nothing was boiled in a bag.

[-]

Unusual_Memory3133@reddit

Yes. Banquet brand made numerous dishes in the boil in bags. They were available 60’s-80’s. Could also be regional (West Coast here). Hard to see but chicken à la king is on the lower left in this ad

[-]

numanoid@reddit

We definitely had those in the Midwest.

[-]

percydaman@reddit

I found it in my MRE's in the 90s. Otherwise no.

[-]

CriticalPath50@reddit

Same. That was the one nobody wanted, and it was hard to find anyone who’d trade another one for it

[-]

Schultztrio@reddit

Chicken a la King in the dark brown MRE bags was the nastiest shit. Absolutely the worst meal. Most of us would go without before eating that one

[-]

RF-Guye@reddit

Ha! With the mini bottle of tabasco+ salt n pepper it was my favorite 90s MRE meal plan...

[-]

Extreme-Flan3935@reddit

i thought Chicken Cacciatore was the icky one in MREs (according to my hisbnad). Maybe both?

[-]

a42N8Man@reddit

It’s easy to make a good version from scratch. Basically it’s a seasoned béchamel in which you cook chunks of boneless skinless chicken breast and veg like carrots, peas and onions. You can add potatoes if you want, celery if you want. You can serve over biscuits or in puff pastry shells. You can put in a pie crust and make pot pie. It’s tasty and versatile.

I don’t remember having it as a frozen dinner but TBF I think it’s been 35 or 40 years since I had any sort of frozen dinner.

[-]

Scrotchety@reddit

The version I was fed involved mixing the veg and chicken and bechamel into a casserole dish and overlaying the top with biscuits (the kind that pop from cans) and throwing it into the oven until browned on top.

As a tasty side dish, put some canned pear halves in a bowl and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Serve chilled

[-]

Fun_Independent_7529@reddit

This is how we make it. I call it chicken pot pie even though we use the puff pastry shells. I suppose it really is chicken a la king!

[-]

sevenselevens@reddit

So is Chicken à la King just the stuff inside a pot pie? I remember my mom had a can of it in the pantry for like ten years but I’m not sure we ever ate it.

[-]

Individual-Spirit765@reddit

I made and ate it for dinner last night. I make the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup variety. The wife likes it over rice; I have it over split biscuits, mixed with peas.

[-]

grinpicker@reddit

Turkey tetrazinni!!!

[-]

MrsRalphieWiggum@reddit

gif

[-]

grinpicker@reddit

Jerry! He was making her chicken tetrazini!!!

[-]

lundgrenisgod@reddit

My dad still requests that I look for Stouffer‘s turkey tetrazzini when we do our shopping…. and every once in a while, I strike gold baby

[-]

Pedadinga@reddit

Haven't heard this in so long. I laughed so hard, thank you so much.

[-]

Helpful-nothelpful@reddit

Do you mean the large can and the small can on top. They were taped together? Or more like a Midwest cookbook chicken ala king?

[-]

Extreme-Flan3935@reddit

Do you mean chicken chow mein?

[-]

PabloDabscovar@reddit

Username checks out. 🙄

[-]

Level-Artichoke9177@reddit

Ooh, I remember chicken chow mein in those cans. We were royalty! 🤩😂

[-]

ranchoparksteve@reddit

The fun thing living in Los Angeles is that there are still classy old-school restaurants, with signed photos of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, serving up the oldies: Steak Diane, Clams Casino, Baked Alaska.

[-]

PabloDabscovar@reddit

Those dishes are way fancier than chicken à la king. Do you see chicken à la king at your L.A. restaurants. Thats the question.

Steak Diane never left.

[-]

Extreme-Flan3935@reddit

I miss Chicken a La King and Chicken Kiev. Forgot about those.

[-]

ranchoparksteve@reddit

You’re right. I did a yelp search and the dish is available at random restaurants, but not exactly the restaurants I was originally thinking about. I imagine some of the places are “reimagining” the original in some way.

[-]

Extreme-Flan3935@reddit

oohh … those names are all familiar, but I’ve never had them.

[-]

Fritzo2162@reddit

Oh yeah. There's a place or two in Palm Springs like that too. Chicken Kiev, Green Goddess dressing, Waldorf salad. I think I even saw Chicken Marbella, and that was a throwback dish even back in the 90s.

[-]

Sea-Oven-7560@reddit

Cesar Salad made at the table, prime rib sliced in front of you and Cherries Jubilee at the end. I loved going to places like that with my parents. They still had one place close to us that still had that 60's/70's supper club vibe -I took my wife there and the lounge singer came over, I told her that I started coming there as a child in like '73 and she said she started singing their in '70. Gone but not forgotten.

[-]

Fritzo2162@reddit

I still have a big wooden salad bowl set and make caesar salad when I have cookouts in the summer LOL

[-]

mikederoy@reddit

I like it

[-]

tunaman808@reddit

I buy a couple cans whenever I see it at the store. It's one of those foods that is delicious freshly-made, but the canned version is kind of it's own thing that you love or hate. Like how good fresh corned beef hash is compared to canned, although canned's not bad if it's yoru vibe.

It's not common in stores any more, so I don't buy it often.

[-]

Far_Oven_3302@reddit

Can of corn beef and a can of potatoes fried together used to be my staple camp food.

[-]

Far_Oven_3302@reddit

I always thought it was just a sitcom thing. Now looking at the recipe, I've had variations, and now I see it is just beef stroganoff with chicken. It seems to be close to the the staple of protein, noodle and a can of Cambells cream of whatever that everyone made.

[-]

akt30@reddit

It still exists and I love it over rice. Yum! It was my childhood comfort food and unlike a lot of things from back then it still tastes the same.

[-]

wormfighter@reddit

It was an MRE in the 90s.

[-]

snakeplizzken@reddit

I worked for the company that made the freeze dried version for MCWs some years ago. I recognized it as chicken ala king and asked about the name switch. Was told it was because nobody knew what ala king was anymore so they changed it to homestyle chicken noodle casserole.

[-]

Electrical_Ice6302@reddit

🤮🤮

[-]

Cola_Doc@reddit

I enlisted in 93 and just barely missed these. I heard nightmares, though :D

[-]

stain57@reddit

And the 80s, and it was horrible.

[-]

The1Ylrebmik@reddit

In the 70's that was our go-to phrase to shout when someone was trying to shoot a free throw to make him miss.

[-]

BaronessF@reddit

It's a comfort food for me. If I'm craving it, I'll buy a can of Campbells Chunky's Chicken a la King and pour it over toast.

[-]

Infamous-Yak2864@reddit

Hell yea! Check out the Campbell's soup recipe. It's easy and delicious!

[-]

Electrical_Ice6302@reddit

After being subjected to Chicken a la king MRE's, I'll never have the desire to eat anything called chicken a la king again.

[-]

sd90matt@reddit

When I was in, I always thought that was one of the better ones.

[-]

Electrical_Ice6302@reddit

That one actually made me puke! I'm sure it had nothing to do with all of the whiskey the night before!

[-]

mukwah@reddit

I occasionally make turkey a la king with thanksgiving leftovers. So simple and good with egg noodles

[-]

TimelyExternal5769@reddit

We haven't had turkey a la king since the Bumpuses' hounds stole the Thanksgiving turkey right off the kitchen table. 🙁

[-]

Boop-D-Boop@reddit

I don’t think so, I mean maybe some people still make, I don’t know. My mom used to make it with leftover chicken.

[-]

MessageOk2410@reddit

There was a commercial in the late 70’s for chicken à la king and the lady said “you mean chicken al la Wendy.”

The stuff that sticks in a brain is crazy.

[-]

Alone-Imagination148@reddit

My grandmother made chicken à la king over rice for me as a kid. Absolute comfort food for me. I’ve come pretty close over the years to recreating it but never 100% there

[-]

VandyGrift@reddit

My mom used to serve it in those store-bought shoestring potato nests. I'm pretty sure those don't exist any longer but wouldn't be too hard to make.

[-]

Jbscott68@reddit

Omg, I hope not.

[-]

X_Wheeze_souffle@reddit

I remember the big can on top, with the little can shrink wrapped on the bottom? I believe the brand was La Choy. Haven't thought about it in years. From a meat and potatoes family, it was "exotic" to us in the early 70s.

[-]

fiddlenutz@reddit

Haystacks made with those chow mein noodles are bomb diggity.

[-]

RW_McRae@reddit

I haven't seen liver and onions since I moved out

[-]

wisemonkey101@reddit

I don’t think I’ve ever had it. I grew up in an area that had real Chinese food so maybe I was busy.

[-]

Signal_Reputation640@reddit

LOL - Chicke a la King isn't even remotely Chinese.

[-]

Inside-Wear5683@reddit

Yeah lol and pasta ain't Italian

gif

[-]

Signal_Reputation640@reddit

I have no idea what you mean. Chicken a la King sauce is cream and sherry and the dish was invented in the north east of America. There's literally nothing about it that's Chinese.

[-]

wisemonkey101@reddit

Then I certainly have never had it.

[-]

Inside-Wear5683@reddit

Yeah I think it's a play on the US version

[-]

Inside-Wear5683@reddit

Yeah I agree

[-]

wisemonkey101@reddit

My bad. I guess I have no clue what it is. I feel like I saw cans in the grocery store by “ethnic“ foods like soy sauce.

[-]

Signal_Reputation640@reddit

That’s Chicken Chop Suey! And eating proper Chinese instead of that is entirely understandable!

[-]

wisemonkey101@reddit

Im an idiot.

[-]

Bladley@reddit

I agree, it sounds like an American-Chinese dish name, but it’s not Chinese at all. It’s a cream sauce based dish served over pasta or maybe biscuits.

[-]

EatingBuddha3@reddit

It was my favorite part of flying! I can remember flying as an unaccompanied minor (5-8 years old), wearing my Garanimals, eating chicken a la king with metal utensils, and pretending to smoke with my Magic Slate pen.

[-]

Sea-Oven-7560@reddit

I've always thought that they should make adult (man) Garanimals. Match the blue skillsaw with the blue nailgun and you have an outfit you can wear to Applebees for a first date.

[-]

Displaced_in_Space@reddit

They do. They're called Dockers.

[-]

stonerghostboner@reddit

Tommy Hilfiger.

[-]

Displaced_in_Space@reddit

Nah. It's often worn in corporate envirnoments, but it's not all automatically matching.

[-]

atlasfields@reddit

Tommy Bahama enters the chat...

[-]

Chance-Night3198@reddit

My mom always bought a lot of frozen dinners and this was one of my favorites. I saw it in the store not too long ago and bough it and, yeah, it was not as good as I remember.

[-]

horluhmay@reddit

You can get it at a dollar store, Swanson chicken a LA king in a can, served over egg noodles. Or, you can find the recipe online and it doesn't require expensive ingredients

[-]

Status-Effort-9380@reddit

I grew up eating at the dining hall of the boarding school where my father taught. This was one of the fancier meals served by the dining hall ladies.

[-]

Phineasfool@reddit

If it's chicken, chicken a la king

If it's fish, fish a la king

If it's beef, beef a la king

[-]

one99uouttaurmind@reddit

We were poors growing up. I always wanted to try it. It sounded so fancy. 🤴

[-]

GroYer665@reddit

yes/no - Back in the day, it was served on a tray in school. It looked like someone barfed on your tray. :(

But when you see the frozen dinner version packaging, and be like "oh, so it's chicken". lol

Today you can still buy the frozen dinner version. But it's not very good, just salty.

[-]

cowboygwe@reddit

No, there is much better choices at home or restaurants

[-]

Yada-Yada-Yadda@reddit

My mom always made it. I've been wanting to make it for my wife. She has no idea what it is. Just gotta find those puff pastries that you put the stuff in.

[-]

CrystalSkull20136@reddit

Frozen Shells Pastry Dough - Pepperidge Farm

These are the ones my mom always used. The link has a "finder"--I hope you can find them near you! :)

[-]

Yada-Yada-Yadda@reddit

Wholly cow! These are the ones my Mom uses as well!! I'm super excited and yes....they are located at my store. Super excited! This brings back so many memories.

[-]

Significant-Way-7893@reddit

As kids we would call it Chicken Alan King ( old stand up comedian).

[-]

trashtrucktoot@reddit

Was he gong show guy?

[-]

bungle094@reddit

Memory unlocked

“Here, boil this frozen sack and then pour it on toast.”

[-]

trashtrucktoot@reddit

Ohhh, that .. right. Boil the bag food.

[-]

Andovars_Ghost@reddit

I always thought it’d be cool to make an ‘upscaled’ version. I actually always enjoyed the basic ass bitch version. One with quality ingredients and not salted chicken lips would probably be pretty damn good!

[-]

VeeLund@reddit

We make it at work a few times a year, the kiddos love it.

[-]

ThatFilthyApe@reddit

We still make this once in a while... chicken, some veggies and a cheese sauce, usually over biscuits.

Not something we make regularly--partially because it's not one of the healthier things--but it's really good comfort food! Might have it 2-4 times a year.

Here's the closest thing I see to the recipe we use out of an old Campbell's soup cookbook.

[-]

sherrib99@reddit

I thought it was chicken tetrazzini

gif

[-]

XeroValueHuman@reddit

Staple family diet during the 70’s and early 80’s

[-]

EvnBdWlvsCnBGd@reddit

The worst M.R.E.

[-]

wormfighter@reddit

Omg yes, by far the worst MRE.

[-]

sideways92@reddit

Oh god… you’re right. I’d somehow banished this memory from my brain.

There was not even a redeeming trade item. The vomelet (veggie omelette) was horrible, but that jalapeño cheese could trade for much better stuff.

But the chicken a la king? Nothing of value. Nada. Blech

[-]

devildoc8804hmcs@reddit

It's definitely not Chilimac.

[-]

renegade7717@reddit

truth

[-]

renegade7717@reddit

man I was gonna say that when I saw the title. It wasn’t bad heated on the back deck of the tank - but cold? hell no

[-]

EvnBdWlvsCnBGd@reddit

true. we used the diesel generators to heat ours. The exhaust from an M1 Abrams would prolly be quicker.

[-]

renegade7717@reddit

literally had to be careful to not scorch it - 30 seconds each side? bueno

[-]

Nuclear_N@reddit

The entre casserole entree just disappeared.

[-]

Sea-Oven-7560@reddit

the whole mushroom soup and tater tot market is in the toilet because of this.

[-]

eejm@reddit

Some of those casseroles were so very unappetizing. Not all, but plenty.

[-]

Fritzo2162@reddit

This is true. Younger people tend to have some aversion to foods mixed together.

[-]

BayouLuLu@reddit

One of my childhood favorites. I was beginning to think my family was the only ones who ate it! I made the sauce from scratch last year to introduce it to my in-laws.

[-]

Sea-Oven-7560@reddit

fancy. We got it over white bread toast (not Wonder, we weren't rich)

[-]

SchoolForSedition@reddit

Bouchée à la Reine mate

[-]

doubleohzerooo0@reddit

I eat it with turkey almost every Thanksgiving weekend

[-]

StepUpYourLife@reddit

Now that's comfort food.

[-]

evilpercy@reddit

What happened to creamed corn?

[-]

93195@reddit

Is this where you were Cream of Corn?

[-]

MunciOmma@reddit

I still make it quarterly.

[-]

blueboatmich66@reddit

Lachoy makes Chinese food…swing American! Jingle popped in my head.

[-]

Poultrygeist74@reddit

Stouffer’s still makes it I think

[-]

TravelerMSY@reddit

What’s not to like about chicken in a cream sauce? Oh wait. You’re talking about the factory version of it, lol.

[-]

ms_directed@reddit

every week after Thanksgiving for the last 30 years. but from scratch with leftover turkey

[-]

jenorama_CA@reddit

Unless the Bumpass’s dogs got the turkey.

[-]

ms_directed@reddit

who's dog?

[-]

jenorama_CA@reddit

gif

[-]

ms_directed@reddit

i understand the concept that dogs steal a turkey...but i don't know what this gif is from

[-]

jenorama_CA@reddit

How do you not know the greatest Christmas movie of our generation? I’m going to need your Gen X card, sir or ma’am.

[-]

ms_directed@reddit

ah, the Bumpus Hounds...no i don't have A Christmas Story memorized, i didn't even really watch it until i had kids of my own.

[-]

jenorama_CA@reddit

It’s okay. You got there. Hands card back.

[-]

basement_egg@reddit

i'm glad this was said

[-]

therocketn00b@reddit

I only had it once, and it was a freeze dried backpacking meal. But it was delicious.

[-]

iamltr@reddit

its been so long since i have had any

now i want some

[-]

largos7289@reddit

YES!!!! even make turkey a la king after thanksgiving. Every now and then i get a feel for it.

[-]

Auslander808@reddit

Pretty sure that my blood is 20% PCB by this point, do to those packs.

[-]

Sloth_grl@reddit

I miss it

[-]

Dazzling-Design9038@reddit

A childhood favorite of mine.

[-]

rick43402@reddit

My mom made it from scratch in the 60s and 70s. Thank you Betty Crocker Cookbook.

[-]

bobboogie@reddit

At the hospital where I work, it's an occasional dish, on about once every two months.

[-]

No-Profession422@reddit

Same here. It's actually not bad. They serve it over biscuits, if you want.

[-]

Fritzo2162@reddit

When I was a chef back in the 90s we made gallons of the stuff for Sunday brunch service. A few notes:

- fresh made tastes 1000% better than those old "boil in bag" versions
- Pimentos are what gave the sauce it's flavor. It ended up overpowering the mushrooms. Pimentos are a bit out of favor these days, so red sweet pepper is a decent substitute
- It's commonly dumped over biscuits, toast, or scones kind of like sausage gravy, but we would serve it in hollowed out croissant bowls to make it look presentable.

Anyway, it's a great way to use up leftover chicken. I still make it once or twice a year.

[-]

irishbsc@reddit

It's one of my favorite meals. I have it about 10x per year. I haven't seen it on a restaurant menu in at least 30 years.