Turkey a la King Recipe (with Leftovers) (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat cooked turkey after 5 days? ›

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

How long do the turkey and trimmings stay safe in the refrigerator or freezer? The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later.

Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of stock and/or butter. Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the sliced turkey (cover with a damp paper towel) in a microwave-safe dish at 50% power in 1-minute intervals.

Turkey à la King is a comforting one-skillet recipe made with cooked turkey and vegetables simmered in a luxurious white cream sauce. It makes a great leftovers meal for turkey and veggies that isn't a run-of-the-mill turkey sandwich.

Snyder points to the USDA FoodKeeper app for best guidance: The tool notes that refrigerated, cooked turkey should be eaten within 4 days. Eat frozen turkey leftovers within 6 months for premier quality.

Like other leftovers, leftover cooked turkey can—and will—go bad. “The texture and smell of turkey will indicate when it has gone bad,” Edwards says. “Generally it will smell bad and get a slimy texture. It's best to throw it away after four days in the fridge or move it to the freezer at that point.”

Frozen Turkey

Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

If your turkey has been properly handled, you can refrigerate and eat it for up to four days. If you are planning to freeze it, it's best to freeze it within one day of cooking for optimal texture and taste. However, leftover turkey can be frozen after three days and it will be fine.

If properly stored, raw turkey can last in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cold cuts last up to 5 days. How long does cooked turkey last in the fridge? If you have leftovers that include cooked turkey, you can expect those to last in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

The dried meat will absorb the moisture and be more edible. Make any kind of dish with a rich sauce, to give the dry meat some richness. Or just serve it with a rich gravy. The next time I do turkey and have leftovers I will make this recipe…..

Why does leftover turkey taste different? ›

The flavor is variously described as "rancid," "stale," and like "cardboard," and even compared to "damp dog hair." Warmed-over flavor is caused by the oxidative decomposition of lipids (fatty substances) in the meat into chemicals (short-chain aldehydes or ketones) which have an unpleasant taste or odor.

To not dry out a turkey, you need to add moisture when you reheat the meat. You'll see in our reheating methods that we add homemade gravy, chicken stock or butter to the turkey before heating it up low and slow. This ensures that juices in the turkey won't escape as steam when they're exposed to heat.

It turns out the difference is that Chicken Tetrazzini has cheese in it and Chicken à la King does not. In the 1950s, you would open a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, a package of frozen peas, carrots, a can of sliced mushrooms, some Velveeta cheese, and chicken or turkey and voila...an abomination!

Where does Turkey a la King come from? There are many origin stories for this recipe, but the original version was probably Chicken a la King, not turkey. It may have originated in lower Manhattan at Delmonico's restaurant. Or, it might have been created at Claridge's Hotel in London.

Turkey: 3-4 days.

Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days. Another option is freezing the cooked turkey. Turkey can last up to four more months if frozen.

Storing Leftover Turkey

Use refrigerated turkey and stuffing within 3 to 4 days. Use gravy within 1 to 2 days. If freezing, use leftovers within 2 to 6 months for best quality.

If you are not confident about the temperature of your refrigerator, cook or freeze the turkey within 4 days of purchase. Storage of Leftovers: Carve leftover turkey into slices before refrigerating to speed cooling. Refrigerate carved leftovers within 2 hours of eating. Use leftover turkey within 3 days.