Equipment
Ingredients
Crepe Batter
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 300 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 g salt
Turkey & Vegetable Filling
- 300 g cooked turkey, shredded or diced
- 200 g cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 150 g fresh spinach, washed and tough stems removed
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic, minced
- 15 g unsalted butter
Gruyere Mornay Sauce
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 400 ml whole milk, warmed
- 120 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 377 kcal
- Protein
- 23 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 463 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 145 mg
- Potassium
- 493 mg
- Calcium
- 298 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 49 mg
- Phosphorus
- 338 mg
- Zinc
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 267 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 93 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.56 mg
- Niacin
- 4.1 mg
- Folate
- 65 mcg
- Water
- 163 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the flour, milk, eggs, melted butter, and salt in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and air bubbles to dissipate.
Heat a non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter. Pour about 60ml of batter into the center, swirling the pan immediately to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until the edges lift and the bottom is lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and repeat to make 8 crepes.
In a large saute pan, melt 15g of butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook without moving for 3 minutes until browned. Add the shallot and garlic, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the spinach in handfuls, tossing until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked turkey.
In a medium saucepan, melt 40g of butter over medium heat. Whisk in 40g of flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbling but not browned. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until significantly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 80g of the grated Gruyere, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reserve the remaining 40g of cheese for topping.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Fold about one-third of the cheese sauce into the turkey and vegetable mixture to bind it together.
Lay a crepe flat on a work surface. Spoon a generous line of the turkey filling down the center. Roll the crepe tightly like a cigar and place it seam-side down in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes.
Pour the remaining cheese sauce evenly over the top of the rolled crepes, leaving the very ends exposed so they crisp up. Sprinkle the reserved 40g of Gruyere cheese over the sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the exposed crepe edges are crispy and deeply golden. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 74C/165F for food safety when reheating previously cooked poultry.
Chef's Notes
- Warm your milk before making the Mornay sauce. Cold milk hitting a hot roux is the primary cause of lumpy bechamel.
- For the ultimate textural contrast, leave the very ends of the crepes uncovered by sauce when arranging them in the baking dish. They will fry in the butter and become incredibly crispy.
- If using leftover Thanksgiving turkey, taste your filling before adding salt. Brined or heavily seasoned turkey will require you to use less salt in the final dish.
- Browning the butter slightly before pouring the crepe batter into the pan adds a nutty, savory undertone known as beurre noisette, which beautifully complements the earthy mushrooms.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The crepes will soften over time.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze assembled but unbaked. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Reheating: Cover with foil and reheat in a 175C/350F oven until the center reaches 74C/165F.
Troubleshooting
Crepes are tearing when flipped
Cause: Batter didn't rest long enough, or the crepe was flipped before the bottom was fully set.
Fix: Patch small tears with a few drops of raw batter and let it cook to set. If fully torn, chop and use as a binder in the filling, then make another.
Prevention: Allow batter to rest for the full 30 minutes. Wait for the edges of the crepe to look dry and lift away from the pan naturally before attempting to flip.
Cheese sauce is lumpy or grainy
Cause: Milk was added too quickly to the roux, or cheese was added while the pan was still on high heat, causing the proteins to separate.
Fix: Vigorously whisk the sauce off the heat. If severely lumpy before adding cheese, pass through a fine mesh strainer.
Prevention: Add warm milk gradually while whisking vigorously. Always remove the saucepan from the heat before adding the cheese.
Mushrooms released too much liquid making the filling soggy
Cause: Pan was overcrowded or heat was too low, causing mushrooms to steam rather than sear.
Fix: Continue cooking the filling mixture uncovered over medium-high heat until the excess liquid evaporates before mixing with the sauce.
Prevention: Cook mushrooms in a hot pan without moving them initially so they brown and evaporate their moisture.
Cultural Context
Crepes originated in Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, where buckwheat savory crepes (galettes) were a staple long before wheat flour became accessible. This specific preparation takes inspiration from 'Ficelles Picardes', a classic baked crepe dish from Picardy, traditionally filled with ham and mushrooms, then baked under a rich cream sauce. It serves as an elegant vessel for transforming humble leftovers into a sophisticated main course.
