If one blast from the Americana past just isn’t enough, tater tot casserole will certainly scratch that Midwest cook-out itch. This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission.
Turkey á la King
The original chicken á la King comes from ambiguous beginnings. Á la King or á la Keene? Named after its creator or named in honour? However, two things are certain: it was invented at the very end of the 19th century, and it was American made. Mostly consumed by high society; fancy hotel guests, racehorse owners and the like, it was elegantly served on slices of toast. It was in the 1950s and 60s that á la King spiked in popularity and was served as a celebration dish at weddings, clubs, gala dinners. Since then, it has filtered through to the mainstream, which is probably how the leftover version came to be; everyday home cooks just looking for new ways to minimise their food waste. Like me and you! As a modern, average-sized family can comfortably plough through a whole roast chicken, that doesn’t leave a lot of leftovers. So, the á la King recipe turned turkey.
Turkey leftovers
One family of 4 + one holiday turkey = A LOT of leftovers. It is difficult to present the idea of Christmas dinner without a turkey, and my family are sticklers for that particular tradition. With the average small turkey serving a suggested 6-8 people, that is a lot of uneaten meat. So, over the years I have had to get creative to avoid waste. Here are my family favourites for leftovers (and not a sandwich in sight):
Serving suggestions
For a creamy chicken or turkey dish, you need something to soak or scoop up the sauce. Plain white long grain rice, pasta shells or twists, or if you can’t get enough butter and comforting cream, mashed potato. Although there are peppers and mushrooms in the dish itself, I like a side of vegetables too. To balance out the creaminess of the sauce and the soft texture of the turkey, this crunchy, tangy winter salad with red cabbage, kale and pomegranate is the answer. Turkey leftovers usually mean Thanksgiving or Christmas so you might want a break from the carrots and sprouts! But if not, try these easy roasted parmesan brussels sprouts and carrots to keep it traditional.
Storage and leftovers
As this recipe uses previously cooked turkey (or chicken), I’m advising against keeping the leftovers. Twice is my limit for keeping and reheating poultry!
More recipes to try
Cauliflower Gratin Herbed Butter Turkey Crown (Breast) Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes Ground Turkey and Wild Rice Stuffed Squash
