Chicken or turkey, rice, and vegetables excluding carrots, broccoli, and dark-green leafy; cream sauce, white sauce, or mushroom sauce
Common food
Photo: Wikipedia
This is a classic, comforting casserole or skillet dish where tender chunks of chicken or turkey are nestled with soft rice and a medley of mild vegetables like peas, corn, and green beans, all bound in a rich, savory cream or mushroom sauce. The texture is uniformly soft and cohesive, with the sauce providing a smooth, velvety mouthfeel that coats every bite. Nutritionally, it's a balanced, moderate-calorie meal offering a good mix of protein and carbohydrates for energy.
Calorie split: 16% protein · 48% carbs · 36% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love it for its ultimate comfort-food appeal—a warm, familiar, and deeply satisfying dish that requires minimal chewing and feels like a hug in a bowl. Its incredible versatility allows it to be a quick weeknight dinner using leftovers or a more elaborate casserole for gatherings.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
The cream or white sauce can be high in saturated fat and sodium, and the refined white rice may cause a quicker blood-sugar spike compared to whole grains. To counteract this, opt for a sauce made with low-sodium broth and light cream or Greek yogurt, choose brown rice for more fiber, and increase the vegetable-to-rice ratio in your serving.
Key benefits
- Provides complete protein for muscle maintenance and satiety.
- Offers a balanced source of carbohydrates from rice for sustained energy.
- Contains a mix of vegetables for essential vitamins and minerals.
- The sauce can be a source of calcium if made with dairy.
- A convenient, all-in-one meal that is easy to portion and reheat.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The 'à la King' style of diced meat in cream sauce is often attributed to a New York City hotel chef in the 1890s, though its precise origin is debated among culinary historians.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 72.5 g |
| Energy | 131 kcal |
| Protein | 5.3 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 5.3 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 15.7 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.80 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.92 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 23.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.72 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 13.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 70.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 109 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 342 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.53 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.05 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 7.0 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.60 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.09 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 mg |
| Niacin | 1.8 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.09 mg |
| Folate, total | 30.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 22.0 ug |
| Folate, food | 8.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 46.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 15.7 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.09 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 9.0 ug |
| Retinol | 6.0 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 23.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 6.0 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 10.0 ug |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 98.0 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.74 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.10 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 10.8 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.96 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.03 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.66 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.19 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 1.9 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.07 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 1.8 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.03 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 2.0 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 1.8 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.23 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 14.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Turnover, chicken- or turkey-, and vegetable-filled, reduced fat, frozen — USDA does not publish this profile for Chicken or turkey.
| Tryptophan | 0.16 g |
| Threonine | 0.41 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.47 g |
| Leucine | 0.80 g |
| Lysine | 0.61 g |
| Methionine | 0.23 g |
| Cystine | 0.13 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.47 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.37 g |
| Valine | 0.53 g |
| Arginine | 0.51 g |
| Histidine | 0.30 g |
| Alanine | 0.45 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.80 g |
| Glutamic acid | 2.2 g |
| Glycine | 0.38 g |
| Proline | 0.87 g |
| Serine | 0.42 g |
| Hydroxyproline | 0.00 g |
FAQ
Can I make this dish with leftover turkey?
Absolutely! This is one of the best ways to use up holiday turkey leftovers. The pre-cooked meat just needs to be warmed through in the sauce, making it a quick and delicious post-feast meal.
What vegetables work best besides the ones listed?
Milder, quick-cooking vegetables are ideal. Think diced zucchini, yellow squash, lima beans, or even small florets of cauliflower. Avoid very watery vegetables like tomatoes, which can thin the sauce.
How can I make the sauce lighter?
You can substitute part or all of the heavy cream with evaporated milk, a roux-thickened chicken broth, or even a blended silken tofu base for a lower-fat, higher-protein version that still provides a creamy texture.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 1.31 kcal/g · 16% calories from protein · 0.8 g fiber · 0.9 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 3.14 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.