Easy Cheesy Chicken Braid

Do you ever have a time where you want to impress people with your culinary skills but are either too tired or (in my case) just feeling too lazy to make a big mess in the kitchen?  If so, this recipe is for you.  It never fails to impress and it tastes amazing, and the best part.....it's EASY!  I love recipes that make me look like I know what I'm doing in the kitchen and this is one of them.  **For shortcut tip, see below.  Hope you enjoy this recipe and enjoy being awesome in the kitchen!

Easy Cheesy Chicken Braid

Ingredients:

Serves:  8-10

1              cup (250 mL) chopped broccoli florets defrosted                       

2              cups (500 mL) shredded cooked chicken breasts

1/2          cup (125 mL) diced red bell pepper

1              cup (250 mL) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2          cup (125 mL) mayonnaise

1              tsp garlic powder

1/4          tsp (1 mL) salt

2              pkg (8 oz or 235 g) refrigerated crescent dough

Smaller Version - Serves:  4-5

1/2          cup (250 mL) chopped broccoli florets defrosted                       

1              cup (500 mL) shredded cooked chicken breasts

1/4          cup (125 mL) diced red bell pepper

1/2          cup (250 mL) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4          cup (125 mL) mayonnaise

1/2          tsp garlic powder

1/8          tsp (1 mL) salt

1              pkg (8 oz or 235 g) refrigerated crescent dough

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Combine broccoli, chicken, bell pepper, cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder and salt in bowl and mix well.

Unroll one package of the crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of Baking sheet.   Repeat with remaining package of dough.  Pinch seams together to seal perforations.  Spread filling evenly down the middle of dough (long ways).  On longest sides of dough, cut dough into strips.  To braid, lift dough strips across filling to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Bake 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 1 - Mix ingredients together
in bowl

Step 2 - Unroll crescents and
 pinch seams together

Step 3 - Place mixture down middle of dough and cut strips on sides

Step 4 - Sprinkle shredded cheese over top of mixture

Step 5 -  Bring ends together, pinch and flip over

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes until golden brown

 **Shortcut Tip:  This recipe can also be made using Rotisserie Chicken that you buy from the grocery store.  Another one of my shortcuts is that I boil chicken breasts and shred them up into quart size ziploc bags (equals about 1 1/2 - 2 cups) and then freeze them.  It makes casseroles even easier.  I also do this with ground beef/ground chuck.  I brown about 10 pounds at a time, divide it into 1 lb bags and freeze them.  Makes life so much easier when you want to make Sloppy Joes, Spaghetti, Chili, etc.  Anything that requires cooked hamburger, just pull a bag out of the freezer, defrost and you're ready to go.