Cream Cheese Chicken in Puff Pastry

Ages ago I decided to buy puff pastry. I think I just had baby Emmett and I thought this would be a nice convenience item to have on hand. Normally, I don't buy puff pastry at the store (I do buy phyllo dough though) because I feel like it's something I can make or substitute with something else (i.e. pie crust). Also, it's incredibly expensive. The good thing about this recipe is that each chicken breast only requires 1/8 of a sheet, so you're definitely stretching a buck.

Anywho..... :) 

I love this recipe because it combines chicken, cheese, and garlic. Possibly my three favorite things in life (sorry hubs and children, it's time you knew the truth teehehehe). You could leave the chicken breast whole, which I've done before, but I prefer to cut it into pieces. It cooks faster and the ingredients blend better.

I served this with roasted asparagus. Just break off the woody ends of the asparagus, place into a baking dish, drizzle with oil (EVOO), add some salt, place into a preheated oven. I went ahead and baked it next to the chicken, at 400F, and both finished at the same time (about 20 - 25 mins). You could add some garlic, but I kept it plain since the chicken had plenty of flavor.

Cook the chicken

Blend the cream cheese, herbs, and spices

Place into the puff pastry

Turn seam side down and brush with egg

Delicious and cute

Cream Cheese Chicken in Puff Pastry
Serving Size = 2
Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb each), cut into pieces (or kept whole)
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Paprika (sweet Hungarian)
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder

Cream Cheese Mix

• 1/2 pack cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons or so parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt/Pepper
• (I didn't add it, but I think Parmesan would be yummy)

Assemble

• 1/4 sheet puff pastry sheet cut in half
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Note: This is a lot of egg wash, so you could double the recipe and leave the egg wash the same

1. Add some oil (EVOO) to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and spices, mix and let cook. When done, remove from heat.
2. Preheat oven to 400F. 
3. Combine the cream cheese mix ingredients.
4. Cut the 1/4 sheet of thawed pastry (takes about 40 mins to thaw) in half and roll out, using a bit of flour to prevent sticking. Roll it to roughly a 7-inch square. Combine the egg wash ingredients (egg and water), mix.
5. Place half of the cream cheese in 1 pastry, then half the chicken, brush the edges with the eggwash, seal and place onto a greased baking dish seam side down. Brush with the egg wash. Repeat with second pastry.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday, Creative Juice, It's a Keep Thursday, Tastetastic Thursday, Taking a Timeout Thursday, Taste This Thursday