Chicken Pillows With Creamy Parmesan (Print Version)
Flaky crescent-wrapped chicken bundles with a rich, cheesy parmesan cream sauce
# Ingredient List:
→ Chicken Pillows
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 green onions, finely chopped
04 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
06 - Salt and pepper to taste
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1 can (8 pieces) refrigerated crescent dough
09 - 1 tablespoon butter, melted
→ Creamy Parmesan Sauce
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
13 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
16 - Pinch of nutmeg
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream cheese, green onions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
03 - Unroll the crescent dough and separate into 8 triangles. Spoon an equal portion of the chicken mixture onto the wide end of each triangle.
04 - Roll up each triangle starting from the wide end, tucking in the sides to seal the filling and form a neat pillow shape.
05 - Place the pillows seam-side down on the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops evenly with melted butter.
06 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the pillows are golden brown and cooked through.
07 - While the pillows bake, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute to form a roux.
08 - Gradually whisk in the whole milk, ensuring no lumps remain. Cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
09 - Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth and fully melted. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped parsley.
10 - Arrange the warm chicken pillows on plates and ladle the creamy Parmesan sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Crescent dough does all the heavy lifting, making you look like a pastry genius with almost zero effort.
- That creamy parmesan sauce is so good you will catch yourself eating it off the spoon before it ever reaches the plate.
02 -
- Overfilling the crescent triangles will cause them to burst open during baking, so portion conservatively the first time you make these.
- Adding the milk too quickly to the roux creates lumps that are nearly impossible to whisk out, so pour slowly and steadily while your whisk never stops moving.
03 -
- Taste your filling before you stuff the dough, because once those pillows are sealed the seasoning is locked in and there is no going back.
- A tiny grating of nutmeg in the sauce seems strange but it is the thing that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.