Dinner That You Take Along With You

I love that the cheese sauce is actually baked into this easy braid. If you don’t have chicken filling, go ahead and make this with ground beef. In the long run, just making something from scratch will a huge win!

Plus, this is the kind of food that your kids will flip for when they have friends over for a game night or watch a movie.

Chicken Taco Braid

Ingredients

• 6 oz Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• ¼ c Green Bell Pepper, diced
• ¼ c Red Bell Pepper, diced
• ¼ c Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
• ¼ c Onion, diced
• ½ packet, Taco seasoning
• ¼ c Water
• 10 oz. can Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
• 16 oz American cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 sheet Puff Pastry, thawed
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp water

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
2. Add peppers and onions and cook until they begin to soften 2-3 minutes.
3. Add shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and water.
4. Cook mixture until the water is absorbed another 5 minutes.
5. In a separate, microwaveable, dish add cubed cheese and Ro*TEL diced tomatoes.
   Microwave until cheese is melted, stirring it together with the Ro*TEL.
6. Unfold thawed puff pastry sheet and roll it out into a rectangle that is ¼ inch thick.
7. Cut 1-inch strips down the left and right thirds of the puff pastry, leaving the middle section untouched.
8. Add chicken mixture to the middle of the puff pastry and then pour the cheese dip over it. You will not use all of the cheese dip just enough to cover the chicken. Save the rest for later!
9. Fold the end of the puff pastry up and then fold the first left strip into the middle, then a right strip, letting the pieces meet in the middle. Continue down the length of the puff pastry.
10. Make a simple egg wash with an egg and water and brush the egg wash over the puff pastry.
11. Place in a 400 F oven to bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Serve with the remaining cheese dip.

Quick Tip: I have to confess, I have NEVER used a puff pastry before. I found it in the freezer section next to the pastry sheets and frozen dough. I did just see a show on how to make your own “Rough Puff” but that seems like a huge commitment of time and energy. I think I would rather just pay a few bucks and call it good.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Kat and Melinda at Home Made Interest.