Chicken Pillows With Creamy Parmesan Sauce (Print)
Flaky crescent dough pillows filled with seasoned chicken and cream cheese, topped with a rich parmesan sauce
# What You 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
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
# How to Make:
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 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 up each triangle starting from the wide end, 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 with melted butter for a golden finish.
06 - Bake for 20–22 minutes until the pillows are golden brown and cooked through.
07 - While the pillows bake, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute to form a roux.
08 - Gradually pour in the milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking and whisking for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
09 - Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. Fold in the chopped parsley.
10 - Serve the warm chicken pillows topped generously with the creamy Parmesan sauce.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The crescent dough does all the heavy lifting, making you look like you spent hours when you barely broke a sweat.
- That parmesan sauce is the kind of thing you will want to pour over everything from pasta to roasted vegetables.
- It uses simple pantry staples and leftover chicken, so nothing fancy or hard to find.
02 -
- Overstuffing the crescent triangles will cause them to burst open during baking, so keep the filling modest and even.
- Whisking the milk into the roux slowly and constantly is the only way to avoid a lumpy sauce, there are no shortcuts here.
03 -
- Chill the filled pillows for ten minutes before baking to help them hold their shape and prevent blowouts.
- A microplane grater makes the parmesan melt almost instantly into the sauce for the smoothest finish possible.