# Chicken à la king. Eww, or Yum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973 "2010-10-31T15:25:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/1 "2010-10-31T15:25:18Z")
Inspired by: [Corned beef hash poll](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=583700) [Creamed chipped beef (SOS) poll](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=583761) Do you like Chicken à la king? This is another of those foods I ate when I was growing up. Some people eat it on biscuits or noodles. We always had it on toast. I’m pretty sure we ate Swanson brand, and that’s the only brand I’ve seen in the supermarket. I like MREs. (Of course, I’ve never had to like them! 😉 ) Except for the crackers. I can’t stand the crackers. So I ended up with a small box full of the MRE crackers. Chicken à la king is the only thing that makes them edible. It makes them quite good, actually. Chicken à la king is another thing I haven’t eaten in a few years. I might have to pick up a can – and see if I can find those MRE crackers. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/2 "2010-10-31T15:27:38Z")
Chicken (or turkey) a la king on biscuits is almost as good as biscuits and gravy. Maybe even better. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/3 "2010-10-31T15:31:53Z")
Not too bad, actually. So long as you don’t have to eat it regularly. A few years back, our head lunch lady made up a batch for the teachers lunch line. We snarfed it all down, but I warned her that I suspected she had an FM 10-23 stashed back in the kitchen, and that if I ever saw SOS at lunch, things would get ugly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/4 "2010-10-31T15:36:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I suspected she had an FM 10-23 stashed back in the kitchen One of these days I’ll have to look for ‘field recipes’. My friend who was a helicopter pilot in the Gulf War said she liked to crumble the MRE crackers into a cup and mix in the creamer packet, dehydrated strawberries, and some water. She said it tasted like strawberry shortcake. (AFIAK, dehydrated fruit was dropped 20 years ago and the fruit is all ‘wet pack’ now.) ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/5 "2010-10-31T15:40:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Chicken (or turkey) a la king on biscuits is almost as good as biscuits and gravy. Maybe even better. High praise indeed. And I agree. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/6 "2010-10-31T15:53:43Z")
It was my favorite main dish at UW-Madison dorm cafeterias. I don’t believe I’ve had it since then. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/7 "2010-10-31T16:09:48Z")
“Yes” and “no” answers changed to “yum” and “eww,” per request of Mr. LA. **Ellen Cherry Yummy moderator** ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/8 "2010-10-31T16:14:54Z")
Thanks, **Ellen Cherry** (and **Twixter** , who emailed me)! Best part of the dish? I like the peas. ---
**Author:** ![acetylene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@acetylene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acetylene)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/9 "2010-10-31T16:20:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I like MREs. (Of course, I’ve never had to like them! 😉 ) Except for the crackers. I can’t stand the crackers. So I ended up with a small box full of the MRE crackers. Chicken à la king is the only thing that makes them edible. It makes them quite good, actually. > > Chicken à la king is another thing I haven’t eaten in a few years. I might have to pick up a can – and see if I can find those MRE crackers. That’s funny because the only Chicken à la king I’ve ever had was from MRE’s in the early 90’s. In the Army we called it Chicken Alley Cat. I hated it until they started putting little bottles of Tobasco in MREs. It seems like something I would like though. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/10 "2010-10-31T16:41:28Z")
So who’s got a recipe? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/11 "2010-10-31T16:46:20Z")
Open the can. Pour the contents into a bowl. Heat in the microwave oven. Pour over toast. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/12 "2010-10-31T17:09:23Z")
Finding the can is the hard part! I don’t think I’ve seen CalK in years. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/13 "2010-10-31T17:10:20Z")
I eat it over rice. But I haven’t had it in years. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/14 "2010-10-31T17:14:52Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Finding the can is the hard part! I don’t think I’ve seen CalK in years. They have it in my local supermarket. There are a couple of canned-foods aisles there. One has soups and tuna and such, and the other has vegetables. I can’t remember where the beans are, or if the chili and the beans are on the same aisle. I kind of think the chicken à la king is over by the vegetables, but I don’t remember. So if you don’t see it by the soups, check the other canned-food aisle(s). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/15 "2010-10-31T17:18:09Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > So who’s got a recipe? [Here’s](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-a-la-King-233531) one from Epicurious. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/16 "2010-10-31T17:32:35Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > So who’s got a recipe? If you’re not shy about eating chicken a la king out of a can, you’re probably not shy about using cream of chicken soup as a recipe ingredient, so here’s an easy, easy recipe I use: 1 and 1/2lb skinless boneless chicken (I use thighs, but you could use breasts 2Tbsp butter 1C chicken stock 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1/2 onion, diced 1 and 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots salt and pepper Dice chicken, season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large skillet, and start sauteeing onions in it; when the onions are just starting to soften/turn translucent, add chicken. Continue sauteeing until chicken is cooked through. Add chicken stock and cream of chicken soup, simmer for about 1/2 hour. Add peas and carrots, simmer a short time so that the peas and carrots don’t lose their ‘bite’; serve over toast, rice or mashed potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/17 "2010-10-31T21:22:40Z")
Are MRE crackers the same thing as pilot biscuits? I was on a canoeing trip in Boy Scouts where lunch every day was pilot biscuits with canned chicken or tuna salad. We referred to it as “cram and cat food”. Of course, we were also a bunch of teenage boys, physically exerting ourselves all day outside, so call it what we liked, there were still never any leftovers. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/18 "2010-10-31T22:00:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Are MRE crackers the same thing as pilot biscuits? [MRE crackers](http://www.longlifefood.com/images/MREcrackers.jpg) I went to the store, and they no longer carry Chicken à la king. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/19 "2010-10-31T22:10:52Z")
I made it last night, following a recipe. Based on that, I was going to say I could take it or leave it. But on reading the thread it’s apparent that I’ve never had it. Is it chicken meat, plus some veggies and some chicken-flavoured goop, in a can? Sounds horrid. The recipe I had was something like: Make up skewers with chicken pieces and bell pepper. Grill. Fry an onion and some celery seed. Add chicken stock Thicken with corn flour. Stir in some frozen peas and some yogurt, and heat through. Serve skewers with sauce. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973/20 "2010-10-31T22:46:04Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [MRE crackers](http://www.longlifefood.com/images/MREcrackers.jpg) Love the serving suggestion. “Madame may enjoy these fine water crackers with her pate.” On a plate with parsley? Really? Who do they think they’re kidding? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-a-la-king-eww-or-yum/558973.md?page=2)