Recipe Box, Chicken & Asparagus Braid

I had a little of this and that in my fridge,
a few chicken fingers, cooked bacon, and asparagus spears
hmmm….
I also had ham and cheese and a can of crescent rolls

I remembered a crescent roll braid I had made for Halloween
several years ago,
Yummy Mummy, it was so good!
Time for a new version!

After rolling the dough out on a peach of parchment paper,
pinch the seams closed, or use a a crescent roll dough sheet
Instead of the cream cheese used for the Yummy Mummy
I spread the center of the dough with my favorite condiment
Maple Bacon Aioli*, but regular mayonnaise is fine
Then I topped it with Honeycup Mustard, a sweet hot mustard
*this aioli is available at high end grocery stores too

Next a layer of ham and Swiss cheese

Then bacon
Chopped chicken and asparagus
Top it with grated cheese, I used a Triple Cheddar Mix
Cut the sides of the dough into wide strips

Fold dough strips over toppings alternating one strip from each side

Pinch the ends of the braid together as much as you can
My braid is kind of wonky because I used crescent rolls
instead of a crescent sheet, but it will look better once it’s baked

Sprinkle finely grated Gruyère or Parmesan on top
You can refrigerate the log at this point for baking later,
just tuck the parchment paper over it to keep dough from drying out
Bake braid at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes
until cooked through and golden


Cut braid into small slices for appetizer servings
or larger pieces for main dish servings

You can also drizzle it with Alfredo sauce to amp it up even more



Loaded Chicken and Asparagus Braid
Equipment
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 chicken fingers, or 1 cup chopped cooked chicken
- 4 slices cooked bacon
- deli ham I used 2 large slices cut in half
- 2 slices Swiss cheese, cut in half
- Maple Bacon Aioli or mayonnaise
- Honeycup Mustard, or Dijon mustard
- 8 spears asparagus
- 1 can crescent roll dough sheet or crescent rolls
- 2 oz grated Cheddar cheese
- bleu cheese crumbles, optional
- finely grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese
- 1 egg, beaten, optional
- Alfredo sauce, optional
Instructions
- Break off tough ends of asparagus, rinse and wrap in a clean towel or paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes on high and immediately unwrap and place on a cutting board
- Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces
- Unroll crescent dough onto a large piece of parchment paper forming a large rectangle. Pinch seams to seal if using crescent rolls
- Spread a generous horizontal layer of Aioli or mayonnaise down the center of the dough, leaving about 1/3 of the dough on each side plain.
- Add a layer of mustard on top of aioli, then place ham and cheese on top
- Continue layering with bacon, chicken, asparagus and then sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese and bleu cheese crumbles
- Cut each side of the plain dough into 1 inch strips vertically
- Beginning at one end of dough fold dough strips up and over filling, alternating sides, forming a braid. Pinch the ends to seal
- Braid can be covered and refrigerated at this point for baking later if desired.
- Right before baking, brush with beaten egg if desired for a glossy finish, optional
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Gruyère and bake at 375 degrees until cooked through and golden, 15-20 minutes
- Cut into small slices for appetizers or larger pieces for main dish servings
- Drizzle with Alfredo if desired
Who would ever guess this amazing braid
is the result of a little of this and a little of that!
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Sundays on Silverado/ Love Your Creativity
What’s for Dinner/ Between Naps on the Porch
All About Home/ Common Ground & Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Oh My Heartsie Girl / Turn About Tuesday / Our Tiny Nest
Karin’s Cottage Linky Party / Creative Crafts / Crafty Creators
Whimsey Home Wednesday Full Plate Thursday
Such a delicious way to upgrade your leftovers Jenna! Happy Thursday ♥
Thanks Mary, it was really good!
A delicious way to reduce food waste.
thanks Bernadette!
What a delicious clean the fridge recipe! The filling is the bomb.
Thank you Angie!
Yummy Jenna…this reminds me of a deli ham, asparagus and Swiss cheese recipe from Pampered Chef many moons ago. I loved it then and still make it today. thanks for the additional variety of different foods to add. Happy Thursday my friend.
Thanks Kari, it was so good!
Dang, that looks so good. Pinned!
Thanks Rita, the braid makes such a pretty presentation too!
This reminds me of a pampered chef recipe I saw a long time ago — only better! Love what you added and fun that it would feed a few!
Thank you Jeanie, you are the second person to say that, I’ll have to look up that Pampered Chef recipe, I’m curious!
A little bit of this and that turned into a delicious looking braid. How creative
Thank you Judee, the braid really elevated the simple filling!
Great creation. I love braids; they look so elegant, but are really easy. Thanks for sharing this delicious looking braid. I like this way of “getting rid” of those leftovers.
Thank you Linda, yes the braids are fun to make and look so elegant!
You come up with the yummiest ideas! Thanks!
Thanks Rosie, it was so good!
It certainly doesn’t look like leftovers! Beautiful!
Great disguise right 😂
Wow, I love this delicious looking recipe and I can’t wait to try it. I think it would be perfect anytime. It looks fabulous too!
Thanks Emily, it was really good, and the braid really elevates the simple ingredients!
Jenna, the braid looks fabulous. I love that you check out your leftovers and come up with such wonderful food!
Thanks Pam, it was delicious!
Oh, this looks delicious Jenna and has all my favorite ingredients – chicken, bacon, asparagus, ham, and cheese. Plus, alfredo sauce! What could be more delicious? I am amazed that this all came together with leftovers! Yum!
Thank you Kim, it was so good, I’m still dreaming about it ha ha!