Chicken Crescents

My brother, his wife and their two kids will be arriving around 7 PM today from San Francisco for an early Thanksgiving visit. As the drive is more or less six hours from Northern California to Los Angeles county where I live, I am sure they’ll be exhausted and famished by the time they step into the door! I already have, simmering on the stove, beef shanks to prepare as nilagang baka (beef shank soup) for dinner-the kids love “soupy” meals such as sinigang beef ribs (beef ribs in tamarind broth) and tinolang manok (stewed chicken in ginger.

As like most 4 and 6 year-olds, my niece and nephew are picky-eaters. I considered baking empanadas for them to nibble at while watching Dora, the Explorer. But as much as I love them, I ain’t making traditional empanadas with flaky pie crust anytime soon. I guess this is when laziness becomes synonymous to resourcefulness: I had two tubes of store-brand refrigerated crescent roll dough that I was meaning to make blueberry danish out off, sitting in the refrigerator. Well, idea bulbs immediately lit in my head! From the time I took out the two boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets from the freezer, I had these warm crescents waiting for the kiddies in less than 30 minutes.

Makes 16 servings

2 tubes of refrigerated crescent roll dough, 8 sheets in each tube
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, finely diced
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms, fresh or canned
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup milk
1 slice pepper jack cheese, around 1 oz
1 tsp vegetable oil
grated parmesan, optional

Saute onions until translucent and tender. Add cubed chicken and saute until cooked. Saute in mushrooms. Remove from pan.

Melt butter in pan. Add flour, mixing well. Add milk, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps.
Add pepper jack cheese slice, whisking until melted. Continue to whisk until sauce thickens.
Add chicken mixture and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Open tube of refrigerated crescent roll dough and separate triangle sheets. Place around 1 tbsp of chicken filling at the wide end of triangle. Roll to close. Sprinkle prepared crescents with grated parmesan, if desired.

Place in a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 F for around 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

TIPS:
1) Add shredded carrots, peas or chopped pimientos to the chicken filling for added color and texture.
2) Try chopped pepperoni, pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella for an Italian twist.
2) To reheat, wrap in foil, heat at 350 F for 5-8 minutes.

 

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