Makes 4 servings Charlotte, North Carolina, pastor Ann Gibert says she’s come to accept that part of caring for people is feeding them, and that cooking is part of her ministry. She even has a bumper sticker that reads, “Love People/Cook Them Tasty Food.” Her “company” version of a chicken casserole looks like a lot of work but couldn’t be easier. Gibert uses it as a go-to recipe for simple entertaining at home or for taking to someone. The little bundles of creamy chicken in crescent roll dough look appealing and don’t contain any ingredients that challenge picky eaters.
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 to 3 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
Minced fresh sage, to taste
1 (8-ounce) can reduced-fat crescent rolls
Melted butter or cooking spray
Dry bread crumbs or stuffing mix
Cranberry sauce for serving
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch baking pan. Combine the chicken, cream cheese, and sage in a medium bowl.
Unroll the crescent rolls and separate the triangles. Put a triangle of dough in your palm. Scoop up about one-eighth of the chicken mixture and place it in the middle of the dough. Fold, pull, flatten, and pinch the dough to enclose the filling.
Arrange the “robins” very close together in the pan, squeezing them in. Press them down a little to flatten. Drizzle with melted butter or spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Serve with cranberry sauce.
Makes 4 servings
Note: For an Indian-inspired version, use mayonnaise instead of cream cheese. Add a little curry powder and chopped onion to the mayonnaise. Shape and bake as directed. Serve with chutney.