Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Crescent Braid

Came across this recipe while, yes, on Pinterest. :) I've seen a lot of these "braids" and decided I would take it on this evening. While getting my list together to send Mike to the store, however, I remembered I had Book Club tonight, so I double-checked to make sure it would be something easy. It seemed easy enough to me, so off he went. I started on the chicken (which I grilled) while he was gone because these breasts were thick!! I also started steaming some broccoli so that would all be ready by the time he got back.

So, before I give the recipe let me tell you how I changed it. :) ...

First off, as I mentioned, I grilled our chicken. The recipe doesn't say one way or another it just says "cooked chicken".
I chopped up some garlic and threw the broccoli in a saute pan with some butter to steam it.
One more change, and this was kinda big....We have tried a few other recipes with a similar feel and in them it calls for crescent rolls. This was no different. Mike, however, has said that he thinks the crescent rolls are too buttery and sweet. With that being said, we decided to use pizza crust instead for this recipe. And....with that being said....use the crescent rolls.

Here it is...

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Crescent Braid (whew)....

INGREDIENTS:

     2 cans Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls

     2 cups chicken chunks, cooked

     2 cups cheddar cheese

     2 cups broccoli, frozen, steamed, and chopped

     1/2 cup light mayo (I'm sure you can use greek yogurt with this to make it a little healthier, but to be    honest I have never used it before so I don't know...)

     1 egg yolk (I forgot this)

     fresh rosemary (forgot this too...)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spread both cans of crescents lengthwise to form a long rectangle.

Press each of the seams to form a single layer of dough.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cheese, broccoli, and mayo.

Spread mixture over the center of the crescent dough evenly to create a log. I wasn't sure about this, but this is how I did it...

Using a sharp knife, cut horizontal strips 1 inch apart down each side of the crescent dough.

Fold the dough strips over the top of the chicken mixture, alternating left and right to create a braid.

Brush the top of the braid with a beaten egg yolk and sprinkle fresh rosemary on top. 

Bake for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe Source: foodfamilyfinds.com

Here are my thoughts...this was very good, but I would definitely change some things. I think it would be really good to use Velveeta for this instead of just cheddar cheese. I would also add either more cheese or more mayo then what was suggested. Like I said earlier, use the crescent rolls. It needed the sweetness. I also don't think it would hurt to experiment with some spices in the chicken mixture. It needed just a little something more...

However, with that being said, when I got back from Book Club only about half of the "braid" was left. I think Mike took leftovers to work, which by the Mike-o-meter, means it wasn't that bad!!