A couple of weeks ago, I sat my family down in front of the TV. Each member was present, ages 5 up to 39 all living and breathing together in the same space.
The occasion? A little family movie night, of course. Because every family likes movies, right? And I really wanted them all to watch this wonderful little ditty you may or may not have seen this year called The Help. Because every living and breathing person walking the planet should at some time or another watch The Help. It’s that good, as I’m sure 99% of you can attest to. 🙂
So we watched it.
And I kept sneaking a peak around the room now and then to see if they liked it and if they thought “The Terrible Awful” was as hysterical as I did (especially when Hilly’s Mama busts up laughing at her own daughter enjoying The Terrible Awful right then and there…best part of the show. FYI.)
I quietly glanced around during the sad parts, and the really meaningful parts and the tender parts and the amazing parts. Because a mother like me wants to know how her family will take to a show like this.
And so, when it was over I very casually said…
“Well, guys. What did you think?”
To which they responded with all manner of things like…
That was really cool, I LOVED IT, Why did all those ladies HAVE to be maids, That Hilly chic was a snot, That’s got to be one of my top ten favorite movies ever, and so on and so forth.
Then we chatted about the Civil Rights Movement and other intelligent things and we laughed about The Terrible Awful and it was a really fun night.
The next day I heard my little twin boys in the next room saying to each other…
“You is KIND
You is SMART and
You is IMPORTANT”
They even said it with a southern accent. I’m not kidding.
Aren’t they SO brilliant and sweet! I thought. They remembered the most important part of the show! I guess they are like wise beyond their years and they will most likely win the Nobel Peace Prize when they are older, or at the very least be The Presidents Of The United States. Together even, like at the same time.
Then I heard them laughing and laughing and one said to the other…
“That was the funniest part of the show! Let’s say it again…hahahhahahahahahahaha! You is kind….hahahhahha. You is smart….hahhahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!”
Oh. Um.
Well, maybe the whole concept of the show is a little bit much for two five year olds to understand, right? Do you think they can still be The Presidents of The United States?
I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath.
If you are looking for a meal the whole family will love and praise you for, this is it. It comes together very quickly, tastes absolutely divine and gets 7 thumbs up around here every time I make it.
What’s not to love about that.
Serve up a nice slice of Chocolate Pie for dessert and I’m sure it will be a meal to remember. Might even turn your children into Presidents of The United States…or something like that.
Chicken Stuffed Crescent Rolls
Time: 15 min. prep + 20 min. cooking
Yield: 16 Rolls
Recipe adapted from Heather Peterson and Cindi Schut
***NOTE: This recipe freezes well. To freeze, follow the recipe instructions for the stuffed rolls completely…assemble and bake the rolls as instructed. Allow them to cool and then carefully place them in freezer safe zip loc bags. When you are ready to use them, remove them from the bag and pop them into either the microwave for 2-3 minutes or put them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or so until they have heated through. The sauce doesn’t hold up to freezing very well. It’s best to make it fresh when you are ready to serve.
Stuffed Rolls:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 (12 ounce) cans chicken
1/3 C green onions
salt and pepper
2 (12 ounce) packages Big and Flaky Crescent Rolls
4 T melted butter
2 C crushed corn flake crumbs
Sauce:
1 (10 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
3 T sour cream
2 T butter
1 T milk
1. Toss 2 packages of softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl, or into your stand mixer.
2. Open up two cans of chicken and drain the juices into the sink. Pour the chicken into your bowl.
3. Toss 1/3 cup sliced green onions into the bowl
and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
4. Take two forks and mix it all together if you are mixing in a regular bowl. If you are using a stand mixer, let it mix on low for a couple of minutes or until all ingredients are combined.
5. Pop open (and I mean pop) your packages of crescent roll dough.
Gently pull one triangle of dough from the roll.
6. Spray a rolling pin with some cooking spray and roll the triangle out just a bit.
7. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of the triangle.
8. Roll it up from the bottom to the top.
Press the corners in and make sure that all of the chicken filling is secure inside the dough. You don’t want any chicken filling to show, lest it come leaking out while it bakes and botch up your plans for a dinner extraordinaire.
9. Toss about 2 cups of corn flakes into a small food processor. Chop them up until they resemble coarse crumbs, then pour them into a loaf pan.
10. Flatten the stuffed dough out a bit and gently dunk it into the 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
Dip the buttered roll into the corn flake crumbs. Be sure that both sides are coated well.
11. Spray 2 large cooking sheets with cooking spray and lay the corn flake covered, chicken stuffed crescent rolls of wonder out onto the pan. Make sure there is about an inch of space surrounding each little roll.
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the dough is cooked and a bit crispy and the chicken mixture is heated through.
13. In a medium sized sauce pan combine 1 can cream of chicken soup, 3 tablespoons sour cream, 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon of milk. Whisk the ingredients together.
14. Get your pan onto the stove top and heat the sauce up over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
15. Pour the sauce over the baked crescent rolls.
Enjoy!
I haven't even tried this yet, but I've done a few of your recipes already, and I just want to say: you are effin' amazing. That is all.
oh these look so yummy..must try it..I made your gnocchi chicken soup last night..its a keeper…great leftovers for tonight.;)
I love your blog and always want to try EVERYTHING you make (and I'm makin' these for sure) … I love your idea to have the whole family watch The Help – – I'm putting that on 'the list' too!! Thank you!!!
This sounds so good! Im going to try this recipe very soon!! =)
We just had the gnocchi chicken soup and it was so good! I'm excited to have found this blog…I was getting so blah and bored in the kitchen and this has gotten me jazzed-up again!
We really liked the help too. I even cried at the end.
Your chicken sounds so good Jamie! I have read the book, but have not seen the movie yet. I guess I need to plan a family movie night!
These were so yummy! I made this for dinner and the whole family loved it. It was so easy. My 15 year old rolled them up herself. I liked this recipe so much that I even blogged about it. Thanks for all of your great recipes.
While I like Crumbs (they’re cookies are atalculy even better than their cupcakes!), there are waaaay better cupcake places in NYC to check out. Next time you’re in town, consult with me. 😉
I tried these tonight and had only half enough chicken so I divided it into two batches – chicken and the other half I added about 1 lbs of left-over shrimp from some scampi we had made the night before. It is awesome with the shrimp. I chopped it rather course. Also added a little fresh lemon juice to the sauce to compliment the shrimp. My husband raved over both versions!
What do you think about Panko bread crumbs on the outside? We don't really eat corn flakes, so I would be buying them specifically for this alone. Thanks!
Lee
Hi Lee,
Panko Bread crumbs would be FABULOUS for this recipe. Good call. Hope you love it.
~Jamie
Just came across this on Pinterest and am adding it to my grocery list to make for dinner this week! This looks SO good…thanks for the recipe!
This recipe is definitely a keeper in my house my picky eater actually lived it . Thank u so much it was delicious and easy to do
Oh, Jamie! You've done it again! I cannot remember the last time I made a dinner that at least one kid didn't complain about. This were a hit. Even my son who sheds tears at the mere mention of chicken gobbled his right up. (You should have seen his face afterwards when I told him there was chicken in it!) Thanks for sharing – we WILL be adding these to the regular routine.
Made these for dinner last night and LOVED them! I used Panko crumbs instead of the corn flakes and they were amazing. Thanks so much for sharing!
this was really good but next time I will be cutting the amount of cream cheese down . it was wayyyy to much ( for us anyway)!! I am thinking next time I am going to try about 4-6 oz of cream cheese.
I need to make these ahead of time… do you think I could roll them in butter, coat in panko and then refridgerate for a couple of hours until baking? Will they get too mushy?
Kristen,
Yes, I think you would be fine to make them several hours in advance. Good luck! Hope you love them.
~Jamie
My husband's first words after trying this tonight: “Oh my god…” Then a few bites later “I think this is one of the best things you've ever made.” So yeah, this will be going on the make-again list.
Just made these tonight…I halved the cream cheese and used panko bread crumbs…AMAZING!!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I am going to make these tomorrow night. I bought the canned grilled chicken for extra flavor and I think half of the batch I am going to put some diced green chillies and possibly some cheddar in it for some extra kick. I will let you know how it turns out.
My mother-in-law gave me this recipe about 12 years ago, the only difference was that we roll them in crushed croutons…. or I think I’ve done ritz crackers before too!! They are awesome! I enjoy your recipes and blog… and thanks for the detail… I am one that needs EACH STEP!!:)
The best for after turkey day…My mother did these over 20 years ago and we roll them in pettrigde farm stuffing and also add mushroom bits and pieces.
I made these tonight using a rotisserie chicken instead of canned and cream of broccoli soup. I’m serving w/some Uncle Ben’s rice and broccoli. I hope it turns out good. 🙂
I found your blog by searching for freezer recipes- so is this a make ahead and freeze recipe or not? it sounds wonderful but wondering if the crumbs will get soggy if its made ahead and frozen…. thanks
I made this the other night, and my husband had seconds. Definately one I will make again, the sauce was super simple and really good too.
Oooh – this looks good. I noticed that one other person asked about substituting the corn flakes. Would crushed fried onions work okay as well? We have a TON of them at the house.
Jennifer,
Crushed fried onions would be so yummy. Sounds like a great idea. Hope you love them!
~Jamie
This recipes sounds amazing but i was wondering if you can use a substiute for the canned chicken, I am not a big fan of the canned stuff. Shredded chicken maybe??
What if you just have the regular sized crescent rolls…can you use those and just make them smaller or put 2 together?
Christina,
Just fill the regular sized rolls with a bit less filling. Should work out fine for you. Good luck!
~Jamie
I’m going to try this with one of the flavored Philly cream cheese “tubs” – I think there is one that’s garlic flavored. Love this quick and easy recipe!
What kind of homemade dough could you use for these? I don’t buy the crescent dough very often.
This looks so good. But where did u get the plate. Love it.
Oh my gosh, These were wonderful. Can’t wait to make them again. They were a hit at potluck. These may be part of our Christmas Eve. meal. Thank you.
Jamie, Just found your site. Like the layout and recipes. Bound to be one of my new favorite sites to visit.
Michael,
Welcome to you. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipes!
~Jamie
Why can’t I copy your recipes? There is no “print”.
Thanks!
Made with only six ingredients, these Easy Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Crescent Rolls are perfect to make for those busy evenings. Since I have kids, I am always on the hunt for quick meals to make at home that don t require lots of prep or work….