Chicken Pillows With Creamy Parmesan Sauce (Printable)
Flaky crescent-wrapped chicken pillows with a rich parmesan cream sauce
# What You’ll Need:
→ 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 (optional)
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
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, softened cream cheese, green onions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix thoroughly 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 each triangle up from the wide end toward the point, tucking in the sides to seal the filling inside and form a neat pillow shape.
05 - Place the pillows seam-side down on the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops generously with melted butter for a golden finish.
06 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the crescent dough is golden brown and the pillows are cooked through.
07 - While the pillows bake, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute to form a smooth roux.
08 - Gradually pour in the whole milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking and whisking for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency.
09 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Fold in the chopped parsley.
10 - Arrange the warm chicken pillows on plates and spoon the creamy Parmesan sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The crescent dough does all the heavy lifting, making this feel like a elaborate dinner with almost zero effort.
- That parmesan sauce is the kind of thing you will want to drizzle on everything once you taste it.
02 -
- Do not overstuff the crescent triangles or the filling will burst out during baking and leave you with a messy tray instead of tidy pillows.
- Whisk the milk into the roux slowly and steadily because once a lump forms it is stubborn to get rid of and will ruin the smooth texture of your sauce.
03 -
- Let the filling cool slightly before spooning it onto the dough because warm filling will soften the crescent triangles and make them harder to roll neatly.
- Grating your Parmesan from a block instead of using the shelf stable kind is the single biggest upgrade you can make to this sauce.