Recipe Update!

Hello all! Not long ago, I posted a recipe entitled Birthday Chicken. In a nutshell, it is a bold take on a gourmet make-it-yourself Hot Pocket: Cheesy, chicken goodness inside of a croissant-type shell. I love it. And I've been making it more and more.

Thanks to a tip from my wonderful MIL, I varied the recipe slightly AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT. She mentioned that her SIL, Sarah, made a similar recipe years ago, with a slight twist. Well, I tried this twist, and I believe I will start making this recipe the new way from now on. IT WAS SO GOOD.

If you recall, the original recipe goes like this:

• 3 oz cream cheese
• 3 T butter, melted
• 2 c. cooked chicken, cubed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 T milk
• 1 T onion, chopped and sauteed
• 8 oz can crescent rolls

Blend the cream cheese and melted butter. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, milk and onion. Separate the crescent rolls into 4 rectangles and firmly seal the cut line. Spoon mix onto dough, pull the corners together and bring up other edges and seal. Brush with some melted butter. Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Serves 4

My variation calls for all of the above, with the following additions:

• 8 oz of cream cheese (instead of 3 oz.)
• 20 Green Olives with Pimentos, chopped (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup)
• 2 tubes of crescent rolls (instead of 1)

Blend the 8oz cream cheese and melted butter. Add chicken, salt, pepper, milk, onion AND OLIVES.

Separate the first tube of crescent rolls into 4 rectangles, and firmly seal the cut lines. Spoon mix onto the dough. Top with remaining 4 rectangles from the second tube of crescent rolls. Seal edges (if some of the filling leaks out, that's fine. It just means it's super stuffed and SUPER GOOD). Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes. Serves 4.

The addition of the olives and extra cheese was AMAZING. I couldn't believe how it really improved the taste. So delectable.

***If you want to make it healthier, use reduced fat crescent rolls and reduced fat OR fat-free cream cheese (I used both). I also used Smart Balance instead of butter, and did NOT brush butter on the top before baking.

I realized these little pockets open up a whole world of meal opportunities, if paired with the right amount of courageous creativity. If you try anything fun and wild, drop me an email with the recipe/how-to (send pics too if you think of it!).

If I try anything else, I will be sure to pass it your way!

Enjoy!