Sometimes you accidentally stumble onto a family favorite without realizing you have a winner at your messy fingertips. If you need a simple “tried and true” recipe to perk things up in your fall meal planning, let me introduce you to the wonders of Chicken Packets!
The first time I tried this recipe was way back in our “early married” days when the budget was perpetually tight and our arsenal of recipes was woefully limited. This little gem was hidden deep within my first experience of batch cooking and I didn’t recognize its potential for greatness at the time.
I dare say I was a bit intimidated at the whole prospect of a WHOLE DAY of cooking. My dear friend, Melanie (who also just happened to be a registered dietician), coached me through the marathon cooking day and our husbands were delighted with a freezer full of goodness as the end result.
Since then, I’ve made Chicken Packets for many occasions (the arrival of newborns, moving days, condolence meals, neighbor farewells, family get-togethers, and welcome dinners for visiting friends), yet these tasty chicken packets are treasured for their simple everyday heartiness.
My tattered copy of Once-a-Month Cooking is a testament to the versatility of Chicken Packets. The original version was for 4-6 servings. I’ve adjusted for our family’s preferences a and cranked up the amounts to have plenty for dinner and some for the freezer.
Ingredients:
10 cups of cooked chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces (a 5-lb bag of frozen chicken breasts, boiled until fully cooked is about the right amount)
3 packages of 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 Tbs of chives (fresh or dried)
2/3 cup milk
salt & pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
8 packages of crescent rolls
4 packages of seasoned croutons, finely crushed
1 1/2 sticks of butter (melt when ready to assemble)
In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese until its texture is smooth. Add chives, milk, and parmesan cheese, then sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Add chopped chicken and mix thoroughly.
The batter is stiff, so use a sturdy spoon (and perhaps enlist a helper to strong-arm it a bit!) and keep stirring until ingredients are well combined.
Set the bowl of chicken & cream cheese mixture aside (or refrigerate, covered, if baking Chicken Packets at another time).
When you’re ready to begin the assembly process, preheat the oven to 350 and get out several baking sheets.
Open crescent rolls and unroll gently onto greased cookie sheets or directly onto a silpat liner. Instead of separating into triangles, pinch the seams to form a rectangle with each pair of triangles. You will get 4 rectangles out of each can of crescent rolls.
Place a scoop of the chicken-cream cheese mixture into the center of each rectangle. Fold up sides and pinch the edges together. Baste each packet with melted butter, then roll gently through the crushed croutons until generously coated.
Place packets onto cookie sheets and bake 20 minutes in preheated 350 oven. Bake until the packets are golden brown (if lifted with spatula, the bottom of the packet is firm rather than soft).
Ring that dinner bell and get to devouring some yummy goodness!
The great thing about Chicken Packets is that they can be eaten immediately or stockpiled for later in your freezer.
Two options for freezing:
1. Freeze the chicken-cream cheese mixture and crushed croutons in separate freezer bags. Thaw & assemble later with the remaining ingredients per instructions. Bake, then serve.
2. OR…bake chicken packets fully as instructed above, allow to cool, and freeze packets for later. On the day you’re planning to serve them, pull the desired number of chicken packets out of the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator all day. Microwave 1-2 minutes until heated through. Bonus touch: put in 350-degree oven for a few minutes to restore the crispiness of the croutons.
The beauty of this winner recipe is its versatility for baking when it’s best for YOUR dinner schedule.
Individually, they also make substantial after-school snacks or for a quick on-the-go meal for busy family members.
If you’d like to try a smaller serving size, simply use the triangle of the crescent roll & repeat the same assembly process.
I hope you enjoy adding this recipe to your Family Favorites!
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