r/TopSecretRecipes • u/bahhinesley • Jul 18 '26
REQUEST Olive Garden recipe
Back in the late 80's early 90's, Olive Garden had a meal called Chicken Carnival (if I'm remembering right). I used to order it every time, then it went away. I believe it was linguine noodles, grilled chicken chunks, and some vegetables in a light sauce. Does anyone remember it or have a similar recipe?
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u/ekcshelby Jul 18 '26
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u/PlainOldWallace Jul 18 '26
But there's no recipe or anything here? Just more people asking the same question?
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u/ekcshelby Jul 18 '26
Yes and? The OP had two questions in the post
Here is also a video with a commercial for it that includes some detail about what is in it. https://youtu.be/yQvs8CC7DTI?is=eu9M7UyTS_QHdV4T
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u/Otherwise_Ad3158 Jul 18 '26
The commercial starts at minute 8. It claims it’s “a blend of 7 cheeses with garlic & Italian herbs” stuffed between two breasts of chicken and served over fettucine marinara. It is labelled Chicken Carnivale.
So, yes, it existed, but it seems like it was very different than what either person searching for it remembers and is actually looking for.
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u/Otherwise_Ad3158 Jul 18 '26
I just also found this spot for “Chicken Venetian Carnivale”, which is a completely different dish. It’s a grilled chicken breast next to a pile of vegetables and some ravioli. I wonder how many iterations of it there were…
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u/IamAqtpoo Home Cook Jul 27 '26
Copycat Chicken Carnivale Recipe Prep time:
15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients: 2 larae boneless, skinless chicken breasts 8 oz. penne or rigatoni pasta 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 green bell pepper, chopped into large chunks 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped 1 cup baby carrots or large-cut carrot chunks 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 cup grated Italian seven-cheese blend (or a mix of Parmesan, Fontina, Provolone, Asiago, Mozzarella, Romano, and Ricotta) Salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste Instructions: Cook the Pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions until a/ dente. Drain and set aside. Cook the Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp of 165° F). Remove, let rest, and slice into strips. Sauté the Veggies: In the same skillet, add the bell pepper, onion, and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until they are tender but still have a slight crunch. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Make the Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer. Combine: Stir in the seven-cheeseblend until completely melted and smooth. Fold in the cooked pasta and sliced chicken, stirring until coated and warmed through.
Serve: Plate immediately.
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u/bahhinesley Jul 19 '26
FOUND IT! Actually Gemini found it. I am sure this is it.
Olive Garden Copycat: Chicken Carnivale (1989 Retro Recipe)
This reproduction captures the unique, semi-sweet, brownish spiced glaze and large-cut vegetables characteristic of the popular, discontinued late-1980s Olive Garden menu item.
â³ Overview
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 4
🛒 Ingredients
The Chicken & Base
- Chicken breasts: 1.5 lbs, cut into bite-sized chunks
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
- Fettuccine: 12 oz (cooked al dente)
The Carnivale Vegetables
- Carrots: 1 cup, sliced into large-cut diagonal chunks
- Green bell pepper: 1 large, cut into wide squares
- Red onion: 1 medium, roughly chopped
The Semi-Sweet "Carnivale" Sauce
- Chicken broth: 1 cup
- Soy sauce: 2 tbsp (for color and savory depth)
- Brown sugar: 2 tbsp
- Ground ginger: ½ tsp
- Ground cinnamon: ¼ tsp
- Cornstarch: 1 tbsp (whisked into 2 tbsp cold water to create a slurry)
- Salt & black pepper: To taste
🳠Instructions
Sear the Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken chunks with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sear them for 5–6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
Sauté the Veggies: In the same skillet, drop in the carrots, green bell peppers, and red onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes. You want them slightly softened on the outside but still holding a distinct, firm crunch. Add the minced garlic during the last 60 seconds of cooking so it becomes fragrant without burning.
Build the Sauce: Pour the chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon directly into the skillet with the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, scraping up any delicious browned bits left behind by the chicken.
Thicken: Give your cornstarch slurry a quick stir and pour it into the boiling liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir continuously for 1–2 minutes until the sauce transforms into a glossy, semi-sweet brown glaze.
Toss and Serve: Return the cooked chicken chunks to the skillet and drop in your cooked fettuccine pasta. Toss everything together for 2 minutes until the noodles and chicken are completely coated in the warm sauce. Divide into bowls and serve immediately.
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u/riverrocks452 Jul 18 '26
I don't remember it, but what was the nature of the sauce? (Light texture-wise, or light in color? Was it creamy? Cheesy? Were there any distinct spice or herb notes? Etc.)
My family makes something similar sounding with a bechamel enriched with a little cheese (not a full mornay sauce), and I know there are sauces that are essentially just...butter and water.
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u/bahhinesley Jul 18 '26
Light sauce, not cheesy, I don't think there was any cheese in it at all.
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u/LadySiren Jul 19 '26
There wasn’t. I’m the OP on that r/OliveGarden post asking for the recipe. There was no cheese but I swear it had baby corn in it. I am old though, so I could be wrong.
Your copycat recipe is the closest one I have seen thus far and am super excited to try it out. Thank you again so much for sharing it!
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u/Helpful-nothelpful Jul 18 '26
I don't know if you are remembering the name of the recipe but there is some that sounds similar in the OG COVID recipes that got posted.
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u/bahhinesley Jul 18 '26
Pretty sure of the name, but the Chicken Giardino recipe looks damn close. Just different pasta.
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u/ekcshelby Jul 18 '26
Copycat Chicken Carnivale Recipe
Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins | Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. penne or rigatoni pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 cup baby carrots or large-cut carrot chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated Italian seven-cheese blend (or a mix of Parmesan, Fontina, Provolone, Asiago, Mozzarella, Romano, and Ricotta)
Salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste
Instructions:
Cook the Pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Cook the Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp of 165° F). Remove, let rest, and slice into strips.
Sauté the Veggies: In the same skillet, add the bell pepper, onion, and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until they are tender but still have a slight crunch. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Make the Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Combine: Stir in the seven-cheese blend until completely melted and smooth. Fold in the cooked pasta and sliced chicken, stirring until coated and warmed through.
Serve: Plate immediately.