Lazy Ranch Cream Cheese Chicken Puff

So, I tried making these Chicken Puff Pastry Crowns not long ago. They were delicious. They were puffy. They were buttery. My family raved. My dad even liked them enough to say so. They were - a lot of work to make. So what do you do when something tastes oh so good, but you don't like all of the time it takes to make it? Make a lazy version. The recipe card below is the original, whole-bunch-of-work version.

Here's the easier way:

First things first: Make Perfect Chicken (Click the link for the recipe). The short version: Mix 1/2 t. each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika together. Rub all of the spice mix on both sides of 3-4 chicken breasts. Sear both sides in a dutch oven, and then cook 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let rest 5-10 minutes before cutting. This method makes perfectly cooked chicken for me every time.

Step Two: Shred chicken. Here's the easy way to do it. Note: If you do not have a mixer with a paddle attachment, you can do what I used to do - shred it in the food processor. Sometimes that turns out to be more like ground chicken than shredded chicken, though.

Step Three: Here are those cute little sweet peppers. You can use bell pepper instead if you want. Remove the tops, ribs, and seeds...

...and chop finely.

Step Four: Add the sweet pepper, cream cheese, and ranch mix to the chicken...

...and mix well. 

If you shredded the chicken in a Kitchenaid mixer, just leave it in the mixer, and mix in the rest of the stuff with the mixer. If not, just mix it all by hand in a bowl.

I just needed a time-out to say...yum.

Step Five: Unroll one of the puff pastry sheets into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Step Six: Spread the chicken mixture on top.

Step Seven: Top with the remaining puff pastry sheet. Crimp the edges to seal.

Step Eight: Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.

Step Nine: Brush on the egg wash. 

The egg wash will make the puff pastry all golden and shiny and delicious-looking.

Ok, then, you are supposed to let this chill in the fridge for an hour. For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while and know my impatience when it comes to getting to eat - please take a moment to laugh. Hahahahahaha. And might I add... ha. 

There are good reasons for chilling the puff pastry. The more you chill it, the puffier it will be. I don't really know why, but I know it has something to do with the cold butter releasing steam to make puffy layers or something. I will even say that I prefer this dish when it has been chilled an hour before baking it. 

However....when making this for this blog...I was really hungry....soo...I lasted about ten minutes before pulling it out of the fridge. 

Which brings me to Step Ten: Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

When you pull it out, it will look like this...maybe even puffier if you chilled it as long as you are supposed to.

Look at all the puffy goodness.

And then look at all the cream cheesy chicken filling ooozing out  of that puff pastry

That again...would be much puffier if I had chilled the dough properly. It still tastes fantastic this way, though. :)

Oh...yum.

Perfect meal. I serve this with Roasted Sweet Potatoes. In fact, I serve a lot of things with roasted sweet potatoes.










Enjoy!

Lazy Ranch Cream Cheese Chicken Puff

Click for the printable version
1-8 oz. pack cream cheese
1-1 oz. packet Ranch dressing mix
1.75-2 lb. Perfect Chicken, cooked and shredded
3 baby sweet red peppers, chopped finely
1 - 17.25 oz. package frozen puff pastry sheets
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 T. water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chicken, cream cheese, peppers, and dressing mix. Set aside. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Unroll one of the puff pastry sheets into the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread the chicken mixture on top, and then top with the remaining puff pastry sheet. Crimp the edges to seal. Brush with egg wash. Chill for 1 hour. Bake about 25 minutes.