Easy Creamy Chicken a la King

I originally shared this recipe on September 16th, 2016.

Ingredients For This Recipe

• 8 ounces pappardelle pasta or whole wheat egg noodles. You can also serve this in puff pastry shells or over your favorite biscuits.
• 2 large chicken breasts, about 1 pound. See our thawing chicken instructions here. You can also substitute cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons organic canola oil or avocado oil (you can also use olive oil if you prefer)
• 1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced (Many recipes call for red pimentos- if you prefer a shortcut, use frozen bell peppers and add to the sauce with the chicken.) If you like green peppers, you can use one instead.
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry (This can be purchased at the liquor or package store. Avoid cooking sherry which often includes sodium)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth or sub in homemade chicken stock and add an extra pinch of salt.
• ¼ cup half and half
• ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Chicken A La King

Step 1: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook whole-wheat egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and keep hot.

Step 2: Meanwhile, place chicken breast in a medium saucepan and cover completely with cold tap water. Place over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, turning in the poaching liquid occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and cooked through, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on thickness of the meat. Remove the chicken and cut into cubes.

Step 3: While pasta and chicken cook, heat one tbsp butter and oil in a large skillet or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to melt butter. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened and released their juices, and the juices have evaporated and the vegetables are starting to brown, 8 to 12 minutes.

Step 4: Add sherry to the mushroom mixture and cook, stirring until evaporated. Stir in flour to coat the vegetable mixture.

Step 5: Add broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the flour is dissolved into the broth. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add chicken and return to a simmer, stirring often until the chicken is heated through and the sauce is thick.

Step 6: Remove from the heat and stir in half and half. Serve the chicken and sauce over the noodles. Top with almonds and parsley. Serve hot.