Chicken, bacon & broccoli croissants

A fun, quick recipe for parties or week nights.

Use the larger sized canned croissants. Use triangles for a stuffed croissant flair, or use squares with the perforation sealed up to make more of a turnover style.

If using the “flaky” variety, omit the egg wash.

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon (up to ½ lb)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 small broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into florets
  • 4 medium Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned, halved and sliced
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese (see Cook’s Note)
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons honey mustard
  • 2 tbsp ranch dressing
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Two 12-ounce tubes refrigerated rolled crescent dough
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup ranch dressing or marinara sauce, for dipping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large skillet, cook bacon to crispy leaving fond, and reserving 1 tablespoon of fat. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain and cool.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Sear chicken breasts turning three times until an instant read thermometer registers 165°F at the thickest part. Set aside to rest.

Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and broccoli and saute until fragrant and vibrant. Reduce heat.

Chop down bacon and chicken into ¼” pieces.

In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, ranch, shredded cheese and seasonings. Add chicken, bacon and sautéed vegetables. Toss to combine well, until everything is evenly coated.

Unroll and divide canned croissant dough into triangles or squares, as preferred. For triangles, add tablespoon dollops of filling and roll, with the tip on top of the roll. For squares, seal the perforation by breeding/pinching, then add ½ cup dollops at the center of the square. Fold and pinch opposite corners into a turnover, tube or petit four.

Brush down pastries with egg wash. (Omit this step if using Flaky dough.)

Arrange pastries on a parchment lined sheet. Bake 14-20 minutes in 350°F oven, turning once.

Empanada dough

Makes 1 dozen 4″ disks, or 2 dozen 3″ disks.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs, divided
  • About ⅓ cup cold milk or ½ cup cold buttermilk, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine flour, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor, pulsing several seconds until butter forms pea-sized clumps. Add one egg and one half of the milk or buttermilk. Pulse until combined. Slowly add remaining milk until dough just clumps.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and press flat with fingers. Fold into thirds and press flat several times, sweeping in loose bits of dough. Do not knead or use a rolling pin. Repeat folding and pressing flat several times until dough is combined. Split into 2 large balls and rest refrigerated 10 minutes, or up to 2 days.

With a rolling pin, roll a ball out into a thin sheet about ⅜” thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter.

Prepare the remaining egg in a small bowl, beaten.

Fill 4″ rounds with 3 tablespoons of filling, or 3″ rounds with 2 tablespoons. Do not overfill. Dampen edges of the round with water. Fold rounds over, sealing the edge by pressing with a fork or gently pinching and twisting.

Place finished pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced 1″ apart. Brush the pastries with the beaten egg. Bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes, until well browned.