For Under $2, This Retro Canned Chicken Meal Can Be Found At Dollar Tree Or Walmart

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Dollar Tree and Walmart are the sites of many a found food gems, like the high-protein tinned oysters at the former, and an easy sourdough bread kit at the latter. What's nice about getting your groceries at either of these discount stores is that there is a good selection (surprisingly good at Dollar Tree), for super-affordable prices. Each location has an excellent canned foods aisle, especially, and both carry Swanson Chicken a la King, a retro canned chicken meal that sells for less than $2 (though only Walmart lists it on its website).

While it is more expensive at Walmart, at $1.98, it is actually more reliably in stock at this retailer. At Dollar Tree, it can be more difficult to find because of how the stores stock food, typically from discontinued or overstock products from larger retailers. This means that unless Dollar Tree can find a source that wants to get rid of the Chicken a la King, it won't have it on shelves. But it's always worth checking, and if you find the canned chicken meal, buy it up, because it's even cheaper at Dollar Tree, selling for just $1.25.

The origins of Chicken a la King are mysterious, but the concept of it in a can has been around since at least the 1920s, and some people remember it fondly from their childhood. Luckily, the latest iteration is just as good as many remember it; " I decided to try it[,] and I was impressed, especially for being in a can! ... It was a great dinner. It's definitely something that will always be in my pantry now for a quick but very good meal," one reviewer on its Walmart product page declared.

Okay, so you've found the canned Chicken a la King at Dollar Tree or Walmart, opted to get on the hype-train and picked up a few, and now you're wondering, how the heck do I eat it? The directions on the can indicate that you can warm it up on the stovetop or the microwave, and they also offer some ideas for how to serve it, like over a baked potato or on top of egg noodles (it would also work well over rice or even stuffing). Another easy way to enjoy it is served up on toast, or imagine the warm, creamy gravy and satisfying chicken chunks with veggies topping a freshly baked biscuit or English muffin hot out of the oven.

This canned chicken meal would also make a delectable — and easy — filling for a chicken pot pie variation. Place your crust (puff pastry works, but if you're feeling fancy, make your own crust with beef tallow instead of butter) down in a casserole dish or pie plate, add the Chicken a la King, and then cover with more crust, making sure to slice a few slits into the top, so hot air can escape. After a relatively quick bake, you've got a very comforting and super-quick dinner that you can bulk up by adding frozen vegetables.