Zesty Lemon Chicken Ring

I'm not sure a person should admit this - but I really enjoy Hot Pockets. So it's no wonder that this chicken ring is one of my all time favorite dinners. It's like having a slice of THE BEST Hot Pocket you've ever had. It's almost shameful to compare the two, because this is so dang good - not to mention easy to make - which makes it even better :) Your family and friends will be so impressed when they see your beautiful creation!

Zesty Lemon Chicken Ring

2 cups chicken breast, cooked (I use one large breast and boil it for 10 minutes to cook through)
1 cup frozen broccoli, cooked (don't be afraid to use the cheaper "broccoli pieces" for this recipe - it will still taste great) (or you can cook up some fresh broccoli if you have it)
1/2 cup red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
2 packages Pillsbury crescent rolls (I prefer the "Butter Flake" flavor)

To make the filling chop the chicken, broccoli and red pepper into small pieces.  Place in a bowl.  Add cheeses, mayo, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and italian seasoning.  Mix well.

Unroll the crescents and arrange triangles in a circle on a round baking stone with bases overlapping in center and points toward outside. I place my 5" round biscuit cutter in the middle of the pan to help me make a circle. 

Once your dough is laid out, press the base of the triangles near the center to flatten and seal. This will give you a nice base to place your filling onto.

I use a 1/4 cup scoop to place filling onto widest portion of each triangle, but a large spoon would work also.

Fold the dough points over the filling and tuck under the base in the center to seal.

Work your way around until the filling is wrapped in dough - you do want to see some filling poking through!

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Make sure the crust is a deep golden brown and cooked through (a doughy crust is not a delicious crust!)

Let the ring rest/cool for 5 minutes.  I will often slice and serve directly from my baking stone, but to make it fancy for pictures I carefully transferred it to a serving plate.

When we had this for dinner last night - and we polished the whole thing off - we decided that from now on we are a "2 chicken ring family!" By the way, one of our teenagers wasn't even home to help us eat it - yikes!

Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

Well, I had to start somewhere, and this is one of my "original" recipes - although I based it off of a seriously superb salad that I had at a local restaurant. This was originally posted on my family website, but it deserves getting posted here as well! I actually think mine turned out better than the restaurant version!!

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (still frozen)

1 cup mesquite marinade (or any southwest flavor)

1 bunch  red leaf lettuce, rinsed, drained, and chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup black beans

1 cup cooked corn

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Kraft Honey Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

1. Earlier in the day place frozen chicken breasts in a crock pot and pour marinade over.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  You could also marinade the chicken overnight and then grill.  Allow chicken to cool and then slice into 1/4 inch strips.

2. To assemble salads:  Divide lettuce between 6 large bowls.  Divide remaining ingredients among the bowls layering cilantro, black beans, corn, cheese, tomatoes, chicken, and chips.  Drizzle lightly with barbecue sauce then top with ranch dressing.  Serve immediately.

Tips

1.  You can use a can of black beans drained and rinsed, or I like to buy my beans dried and soak and cook them (find out how here).  I then drain and divide them into quart size freezer ziplock bags and freeze until needed.  They can be quickly defrosted in the microwave if you forget to get them out earlier.  This is much more economical (1 pound of dried beans is $1 and this makes about 4-6 cans worth).

2.  My husband prefers to use salsa and ranch for his dressing.