- It seems to me that, for those who cook at home, some recipes seem to “grow” stories. That is, for my family at least, some recipes are not just random things pulled from a cookbook or from the Internet. Whenever I make particular dishes for someone new, I must tell the story of this dish: where it originated, memorable times when it was attempted and served, and important events surrounding said dish. “Pamperedchefbraid” is one of those meals.
- This particular recipe has been adapted from an original one given to my sister and me when we were girls. Allow me to explain: Around the time we were 10-12, we were part of a library club called Girls with Entrepreneurial Minds and Spirits, or GEMS, (why yes, we were homeschooled–why do you ask? 😉 ) and the goal of this club was to encourage young girls who wanted to start their own businesses. Once a month, a local women who owned her own business would come give a presentation on her particular field, challenges she faced, etc. One month, the guest presenter was a consultant for a kitchenware-based MLM. I remember nothing of that meeting except making and taking home the recipe for a fancy-looking chicken-filled pastry of sorts. Guess who had a short attention span even then…
- The dish was actually really tasty, so my mom decided to recreate it at home. Originally, the recipe called for about 27 different kitchen gadgets, along with the ingredients, and was made with prepackaged crescent rolls.
- Now, for those of you who know my mother, you know that her food motto (and now mine, too) is “can I make it myself to make it cheaper/healthier?” Thus entered the swap of homemade pizza dough for the crescent rolls. There is also a distinct lack of gadgets (aside from a knife and a pizza cutter) in this adaptation. #largefamilylife #whostolethecheesegrater?
- We decided we liked my mom’s simplified version better than the original, and so it went into our meal rotation, known simply as “pamperedchefbraid.” Yes, all one word, because 3 year olds.
- Fast forward about 15 years, and I had met Mr. Underhill, the man who is now my husband. At this point in our courtship, we were beginning to talk of the future and, since he is Polish, I realized that the best way to his heart would be through his stomach. Thus, the first time he came to dinner, I made this for him. He didn’t exactly propose to me on the spot, but let’s just say that, 3 years and 2 children into our marriage, I still make this about once a month. It’s tasty, looks impressive, is actually pretty easy, and is good for using up little bits of things in the fridge. Without further ado, here it is.
- “Chicken and broccoli braid”:
Ingredients:
1 pizza’s worth of homemade pizza dough, or half a loaf’s worth of bread dough. I like sourdough pizza crust.
1/2 c. Of mayonnaise (I like avocado oil mayo for nourishing fats)
1 c. Of shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever you have on hand)
At least 1/2 c. Of shredded cooked chicken
About 1-2 cups of chopped vegetables, whatever you have. If using peas, they can be frozen.
1-2 cloves of minced garlic, or 1/2-1 tsp garlic powder
Mix together all ingredients except for pizza dough. Roll out dough on GREASED baking sheet or pizza stone. Dough should be in a rectangle about the thickness of thin crust pizza. Short edges should be at top and bottom. Spread filling mixture over middle third of dough, lengthwise. Filling should be spread to each end of dough. It should look like you have a vertical column of filling. Then, using a pizza cutter, cut left and right edges of dough into fringe worthy of Dr. Quinn’s jacket. Starting at one end of the dough, fold one strip from each side to the middle so they overlap. Repeat down the sides of the dough. Pattern will look like a braid. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Please let me know if the directions make sense! I can always add pictures.
Linking up with Kelly. 🙂