Chicken Packets

A versatile recipe--use whatever meats or seasonings you like and make this recipe your own.  I love the combination of chicken, cream cheese, and my favorite seasonings, so here is my take on the recipe.  I think the basic recipe has the tendency to be a bit bland, but it doesn't have to be if you add in a variety of spices.

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped onion (substitute 1/4 tsp. onion powder if you prefer, or omit the onion altogether)
Extra spices (ideas: dill, Italian, garlic powder, etc.)
2 Tbsp. milk
2 c. cooked, chopped chicken
1 package refrigerated crescent rolls or make your own dough
2 Tbsp. bread crumbs

The above recipe makes 4 packets, so if you have a larger/hungrier family, you'll need to adjust the recipe accordingly.

Oven temperature: 350 degrees

I make this recipe using my own bread dough and roll it thin.  I have to admit, I prefer the flavor of the store-bought crescent rolls in this recipe and I think it looks prettier also, as that dough tends to turn a nice golden color.  But, I am too cheap to buy the store-bought dough, especially at the rate my family has been eating food these days.  Here is my bread dough (using all-purpose flour) all rolled out.

Next you want to get your chicken mixture ready.  It's pretty easy; once you get the chicken chopped into small pieces, dump it into a bowl and add the cream cheese, milk, and spices.  I really like the taste of dill in this recipe, so I typically use that as one of my spices, along with garlic powder to kick up the flavor a bit more.

It's easiest to mix this up using your hands.  So, making sure you have very clean hands, go ahead and mix everything together in your bowl.  After that, you'll want to either press your store-bought crescent roll dough into rectangles (press 2 triangles together, making sure to seal the seams) or score your homemade dough.  Then, simply scoop up the mixture and evenly distribute it among your dough rectangles.

Then, fold the packets, making sure to seal them well so that none of the filling spills out while you're baking it.

A pan of finished packets.

At this point, you want to melt your butter and spread it over the top of the packets.

Now you sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of the packets.  I happened to have some Italian bread crumbs on hand, so I just grabbed a handful from the container and sprinkled it on top of the buttered packets.

Place the finished packets into your 350 degree oven and allow them to bake for about 20 minutes, until they turn golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve up along with whatever sides you wish.