Chicken Pillows Creamy Parmesan (Printable version)
Savory chicken and cream cheese filling wrapped in flaky crescent dough, topped with a rich parmesan cream sauce.
# Ingredient list:
→ Chicken Pillows
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 green onions, finely chopped
04 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
06 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
08 - 1 can (8 pieces) refrigerated crescent dough
09 - 1 tablespoon butter, melted
→ Creamy Parmesan Sauce
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
13 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
16 - Pinch of nutmeg
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, green onions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
03 - Unroll the crescent dough and separate into 8 triangles. Spoon an equal portion of the chicken mixture onto the wide end of each triangle.
04 - Roll each triangle up from the wide end toward the point, tucking in the sides to enclose the filling and form a neat pillow shape.
05 - Place the pillows seam-side down on the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops generously with melted butter.
06 - Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the dough is cooked through.
07 - While the pillows bake, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute to form a roux.
08 - Gradually pour in the whole milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking and whisking for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
09 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth and melted. Fold in the chopped parsley.
10 - Arrange the warm chicken pillows on plates and spoon the creamy Parmesan sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The filling comes together in one bowl with zero cooking required if you use leftover or rotisserie chicken.
- That parmesan sauce is rich enough to make anything taste like a restaurant dish, but it takes barely five minutes.
- Crescent dough does most of the work for you, so even on a tired weeknight you get golden, flaky results.
02 -
- Do not overfill the crescent triangles or the filling will burst out the sides during baking and create a mess on your tray.
- The sauce thickens further as it sits, so if it seems slightly thin right off the stove, trust that it will reach the perfect consistency within a minute or two.
03 -
- Wet your fingers slightly when sealing the crescent dough edges because a tiny bit of moisture helps them stick together and prevents splitting in the oven.
- Grate your parmesan as finely as possible so it melts into the sauce seamlessly without leaving any grainy bits behind.