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Turkey a la King is similar to a pot pie and is a great way to give new life to Thanksgiving leftovers! A great meal in less than 30 mins! If you have a ton of leftovers, make my Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole Recipe!
Turkey a la King | What is it?
Let me introduce you to Turkey a la King! It’s basically a leftover thanksgiving turkey, easier than pot pie, recipe! The term “a la king” refers to a dish made of a basic white sauce (béchamel sauce) combined with veggies. Turkey or chicken is usually chopped and added too. This makes for a great throw the leftovers together meal!
This dinner recipe is great for using your leftover turkey and turning it into a fresh meal…a fresh meal in under 30 minutes?! Yes, please! I would like to introduce you all to a beautiful thing called Turkey ala King. Basically, it’s like an easier version of chicken pot pie made with turkey that takes no time and/or effort at all to whip up. My mom used to make these all the time for us kids growing up because it was so darn easy and we all loved it. Plus, they look fancy because I used puff pastry shells. Back home, they are packaged and advertised as Vol au Vent shells, so when I asked about them at the store, people thought I was loopy. Let me save you the hassle and say they aren’t called that here! This is what they look like in the box. I found these right next to the puff pastry in the freezer section. And, If I can find these in this small town, then odds are, you’ll be able to find them too.
Main Ingredients Needed
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Turkey a la King:
- Whole Puff Pastry Shells- used as a crust for the filling.
- Butter– used to sauté the onions.
- Minced Onion Or Shallot– for flavor
- Mushrooms- classic veggie in a la king
- All-purpose Flour + Chicken Broth + Heavy Cream- together, creates the white sauce
- Ground Thyme + Poultry Seasoning- herbs and seasonings that pair well with turkey.
- Salt + Pepper – to taste
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey or Chicken– white or dark meat is fine to use.
- Frozen Vegetables Of Your Choice– I like to use a bag of peas + carrots.
How To Make Turkey A La King | Directions
So, you just bake these shells in the oven and then make the Turkey a la King filling. Did I mention I use leftover turkey and frozen vegetables? This recipe is seriously a no brainer. Anyways, once everything is cooked, you scoop out the center to your shell, fill it with this creamy turkey filling and then dig in! That’s it! Easy as pie!
Step 1: Bake Puff Pastry Shells
Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions.
Step 2: Make Filling
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions and sliced mushrooms until tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium high. Slowly whisk in chicken broth. Let the sauce come to a boil to thicken. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, poultry seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, turkey, and vegetables. Keep warm on the stove top until ready to serve.
Step 3: Serve + Enjoy
To serve, remove the center of a puff pastry shell and pour in the mixture.
Storing Leftover Turkey A La King
Store any leftover Turkey A La King in the fridge for 3-4 days. I would store the puff pastry and filling separately in airtight containers if possible.
To Freeze: The filling freezes pretty well! Store in a freezer safe/ airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, allow to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.
Other turkey recipes you might like:
I hope this helps freshen up and give new life to your Thanksgiving leftovers! Have a great day, friends! 🙂
Turkey a la King
Ingredients
- 6 Puff Pastry Shells
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter 1/2 stick
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup celery diced, including leaves
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt or more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or more, to taste
- 3 cups turkey cooked
- 1/2 cup peas frozen
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, add oil and butter. Saute onions, celery, carrot and mushrooms until tender, 12-15 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium high. Slowly whisk in chicken broth. Let the sauce come to a boil to thicken, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, celery salt, poultry seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, turkey, and peas. Keep warm on the stove top until ready to serve.
- To serve, remove the center of a puff pastry shell and pour the mixture overtop allowing to spill over the sides. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
No mushrooms? Pretty sure you need to call this something else. A la king is a mushroom cream sauce.
Please don’t post a review if you’re not doing a review. Try the recipe first, and then post
You just did what you’re telling people not to do.
I have tried many Turkey a la king recipes and this is hands down the best one!! I serve mine over biscuits but do not change the recipe otherwise. Thanks 🙂
Wonderful recipe. We used chicken instead and doubled the flour and chicken broth. We served it puff pastry cups. We used frozen puff pastry sheets that we put into greased muffin tins and baked .
Delicious!!!!!!
Wonderful seasonings for the sauce. I added celery, carrots and one leek (instead of onions). It was amazing.
Have you ever frozen this for use later?
Excellent. I did not have thyme or cream in the house. I used rosemary and milk and added a little more flour and served over a dinner roll. I will make this again Thank you!
So delicious and such a comfort dish, I doubled the recipe; can I freeze the large remainder
I’ve always made with biscuits, but love the puff pastry idea. Awesome!
Nobody cares about the back story. Just post the recipe
If you don’t like the back story, just scroll past it to my free recipes.
Uncalled for.
Is this your first time looking for a recipe online?
Looks pretty easy. Going to make it tonight. Wanted something different and easy. Looking forward to making this.
Love Turkey a la King and the puff pastry shell is an awesome upgrade!
I love anything in a puff pastry shell! It does make it feel fancy! This is so good!
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I’m making these again tonight – one of our favorites!
I made this tonight and it was soooo darn good.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Great idea for leftovers! Yum!
Glad you had a nice turkey day! Great recipe for leftovers!