Chicken A La King

I decided to make this recipe last week bc my mom used to make chicken a la king when I was growing up.  However, this recipe, which I thought was the one she used, I realized was totally different while I was putting it together.  Funny how you don't realize these things until you actually start mixing together the ingredients!  Haha!  So it was a new dish for our family!  And it turned out yummy & everyone in the family ate it so that equals success in my book.  It was pretty easy and fast, but as you will see, being fast made it a little tricky to document for the blog - it got a little crazy at the end!

For chicken a la king, you'll need:

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 c. chopped green sweet pepper
• 1/4 c. chopped onion
• 3 tbs butter or margarine
• 2 tbs all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 1/2 c. half-and-half or light cream
• 3 beaten egg yolks
• 2 tbs dry sherry
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 c. cooked chicken
• 2 tbs diced pimiento

Now I have to brag on my hubby for a minute - he came home last week with new knives for the kitchen and I was beside myself with excitement!!  Our knives were so old and in desperate need of replacing, so I had basically forgotten what it was like to prepare food with knives that actually cut!!  And, Tommy, it came with kitchen scissors so I'm set for my next round with dicing bacon - yay! :)

So my first test into my new knives was dicing the green pepper, onion, and mushrooms.  For this test I used the "chef's knife" - oh, you know I sure felt like Julia Child! :)

Isn't it beautiful??  And it was like cutting butter.  Brazilliance.  I added more green pepper and onion than the recipe called for.  And probably more mushrooms too.  Cause that's how I roll.

Since I added more pepper and onion, I increased the butter slightly as well.  I probably put in about 4 tbs instead of 3.

Isn't that pretty?

Saute veggies until tender, not brown.

Stir in flour, salt, and paprika to make a roux.

Add half and half all at once.  I likened this to making my own cream of mushroom soup, a kitchen staple at our house.  It was really easy and with our new knives, who knows??  Maybe I'll start doing this more often!

Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Then things got a little crazy and I didn't get a picture of the next step :)

Beat egg yolks in a small bowl (I used a pyrex measuring cup).  Stir about 1 cup of the thickened sauce into the beaten egg yolks - this is so the egg yolks don't cook weirdly into your dish - and I had to do it fast so I didn't end up with chicken a la king + scrambled eggs :)

Return mixture to saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat till bubbly.  Stir in sherry and lemon juice.  I didn't have sherry bc I couldn't find it at the store (I know, y'all are surprised I couldn't find my way around the wine aisle haha).  I think it would've been extra rich & good with the sherry, so hopefully I'll find it next time :)

Add chicken and pimientos.  I didn't measure my pimientos, just dumped in the whole jar.  And I made my chicken my usual way prior to putting it in the mix.  Heat through.

You can serve it with any sort of bread or pastry shell, so I made cream biscuits, of course!  The family really liked this meal and it was easy!  Yum!

Family Favorite Chicken Spaghetti

This is one of our family's favorite dishes!  Everyone eats it and everyone loves it so that's win-win in my book.  It's pretty easy to make and it makes A LOT, so I know we will be eating a lot of this in the future :)  I start out by baking the chicken (the original recipe calls for using a whole chicken, but I use this method for all my recipes that call for cooked chicken, it's just what I've found works best for me)

I just use:

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into tenders
• olive oil
• sea salt
• garlic powder
• pepper
• chili powder

After I spray the pan with olive oil, I drizzle olive oil over each piece of chicken, then sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, pepper, and chili powder, on each piece.  Usually, I use sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder, every time I bake this chicken.  For dishes like this one & enchiladas, for example, I add the chili powder, too.  I just love all the extra flavor that all the spices add to each dish.

Bake chicken at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until juices run clear and it's cooked completely through.  After chicken has cooled enough, chop chicken into small pieces.

In case you're tired of my pretty ingredient pictures, here's one of those "reality" ingredient shots haha

For chicken spaghetti, you'll need:

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I usually just use as much as I have)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 jar chopped pimentos
•  spaghetti noodles (two small bags of thin spaghetti noodles), cooked according to package directions

Saute onion and green pepper in olive oil

When green peppers and onions are almost cooked clear, add chopped chicken

add chicken broth,

add cream of mushroom soup & milk - I usually mix the milk and soup in the measuring cup before adding, to get all the lumps out of the soup

Continue mixing and heat until bubbly

After bubbly, add pimentos, chili powder, and pepper.  At this point I usually simmer the sauce until the noodles are ready.  I think the longer it simmers, the yummier it is, but it's good either way.  The funny thing is on this day, I could not get the pimentos open for. the. life. of. me.  And hubby had to work late so this batch went sans pimentos.  I tried everything, and that jar just wouldn't open!  

Once the noodles are ready, mix with sauce and add a cup of cheese (more or less if you like :).  Pour in a greased (I use olive oil spray, again) 9x13 glass pan.  Add the remainder of the cheese to the top, cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.  Until cheese is melted and sides are bubbly.

It is delish!!  Hope you love it!  I usually top mine with chopped green olives, but hubby likes his sans green olives, so whatever you like, you can't go wrong!  I wish I had a picture of the chicken spaghetti when I served it, but it was Friday night, hubby was working late & this mama was worn out so this is the best picture I could get - ha!  Happy Eating!