Smoked Turkey A La King
Smoked turkey a la king features tender pieces of smoked turkey and a blend of vegetables in a rich cream sauce. The combination gets served over flaky puff pastry squares for a cozy meal you’ll love! Perfect for using up holiday leftovers!
I love a good pot pie style recipe.
But I often don’t want to go through the trouble of making a pot pie filling and the crust.
No thanks.
This smoked turkey a la king has some pot pie vibes with its pieces of turkey and veggies in a savory cream sauce.
However instead of being served in a pie crust, the whole hot and bubbly mixture gets served over flaky, buttery sheets of puff pastry.
It’s cozy, comforting, and so easy.
What does a la king mean?
A la king is a way of cooking food that involves cutting the meat into smaller pieces and serving it in a creamy sauce with vegetables.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Butter– To saute the veggies in
- Veggies– Peeled and diced yellow onions, diced celery, peeled and diced carrots, sliced baby bella mushrooms, and thawed frozen peas
- Broth– Chicken broth. If it’s close to the holidays and you can find turkey broth you can also use that!
- Half and half– Don’t use fat free!
- Cornstarch– To thicken the sauce
- Seasoning– Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- Turkey– Diced smoked turkey
- Puff pastry– 2 sheets of the frozen puff pastry
How to Make
Smoked turkey a la king is so easy to make!
To do it, thaw the frozen puff pastry sheets on a cutting board for 20 minutes.
Then cut three equal squares into the folded puff pastry.
Put the puff pastry squares on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
Poke holes all over the tops of the squares with the tines of a fork.
Bake the puff pastry sheets at 400° for 12-14 minutes or just until they puff up and turn golden brown and crispy on the outside.
At this point, remove them from the oven and set them aside.
Then melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once the butter melts, stir in the onion and cook until it is softened.
When the onion is soft, add the celery, carrot, and mushrooms to the skillet and saute another 4 minutes,.
Then transfer the mixture to a waiting plate and set it aside.
Add the broth to the skillet and deglaze the pan, scraping up any stuck on browned bits with a sturdy spoon.
Let the broth to a simmer over medium low heat.
Whisk the cornstarch into the half and half together, then stir the mixture into the simmering broth.
Let it keep simmering just until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Stir the sauce occasionally while it thickens up.
Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon, whisk in the seasonings and stir the veggie mixture back to the skillet along with the turkey and peas.
Simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes, just until hot and bubbly.
Serve warm over puff pastry squares, and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
I recommend storing the turkey and veggie mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or so days and discarding the puff pastry as it will get soggy in the fridge.
When you are ready to reheat it, warm it on the stovetop, thinning with more chicken broth if needed and bake more puff pastry if desired.
Tips and Tricks
- You can customize the veggies to your liking. For example if you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to omit them.
- The sauce will thicken up a lot as it cools.
- Don’t skip pricking holes in the puff pastry with a fork so it doesn’t puff too much when you are cooking it. The holes allow the steam to escape.
Other Recipes to Use Up Turkey
Smoked turkey a la king is a delicious way to stretch leftover smoked turkey.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other recipes to use up turkey?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this SMOKED TURKEY A LA KING, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Smoked Turkey A La King
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small yellow onion peeled & diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2-3 large carrots peeled & diced
- 8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups diced smoked turkey
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry
Instructions
- Let the folded frozen puff pastry sheets thaw on a cutting board for 20 minutes. Cut straight into the folded puff pastry, cutting it into three equal squares.2 sheets frozen puff pastry
- Transfer the puff pastry squares to a baking sheet and prick all over the tops with the tines of a fork.
- Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes, just until puffed up and golden brown & crispy on the outside. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Set a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Once melted stir in the onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and mushrooms to the skillet and saute another 4 minutes, then transfer the mixture to a waiting plate. Set aside.2 tbsp butter, 1 small yellow onion, 2 stalks celery, 2-3 large carrots, 8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
- Add the broth to the skillet and using a sturdy spoon deglaze the pan, scraping up any stuck on browned bits. Bring the broth to a simmer over medium low heat.2 cup chicken broth
- Whisk the cornstarch into the half and half together, then pour the mixture into the simmering broth stirring to evenly combined. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, just until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in the seasonings.1 cup half and half, 3 tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, salt & pepper
- Return the veggie mixture back to the skillet along with the turkey and peas and stir to combine. Simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes, just until hot and bubbly.2 cups diced smoked turkey, 1 cup frozen peas
- Serve warm over puff pastry squares, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can customize the veggies to your liking. For example if you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to omit them.
- The sauce will thicken up a lot as it cools.
- Don’t skip pricking holes in the puff pastry with a fork so it doesn’t puff too much when you are cooking it. The holes allow the steam to escape.
Nutrition
