Creamy chicken packets were one of my favorite weeknight meals growing up — mainly because I loved anything with chicken, but also because I absolutely LOVE crescent roll dough! It’s so buttery and flaky… any recipe that’s wrapped in crescent roll dough get’s my approval!
Plus, I’m pretty sure my mom liked making it because it is just SO easy and uses simple ingredients I’d assume are readily available in most of our pantries.
Recipe for Creamy Chicken Packets:
Make 8 chicken packets
Ingredients for 8 Chicken Packets
- 2 -3 c. cooked & chopped chicken
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 c. milk
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
- 2 T. Chives (I often use fresh from my garden this time of year but dried are fine)
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 2 packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
Directions.
Start by mixing the chicken, onions, milk, cream cheese, chives, and garlic in a bowl
Remove the crescent roll dough from the packages and divide into 8 rectangles (each rectangle is 2 triangles pressed together)
Press the two triangles together to eliminate the seam (otherwise the filling will seep out.)
Once you have 8 dough rectangles (I only have four in my pictures) scoop filling onto one side of the rectangle, fold the other side over the top, and pinch the ends together — kind of like a huge ravioli!
Place the chicken packets into a greased 9″x13″ baking pan (again, I’m making 4 in a 9″x9″ pan) and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake at 350*F. for 20 minutes or until packets are golden brown.
I got this recipe from my mom, but she got it from a school cookbook — so you know it’s fast, easy, and something real families will eat!
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS:
If you want to freeze this, I’d make up a big batch of the filling and freeze it in small portions (enough for 4 packets). Then, when you’re ready to make dinner, simply pop open a package of crescent roll dough, scoop in the filling, and bake.
These creamy chicken packets are delicious right out of the oven, and then cold the next day for lunch — so feel free to make a bunch!
What’s your favorite chicken dish?
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Lauren S says
Made these for dinner last night….really good except VERY garlicky! Are you sure the garlic should be 1 Tablespoon and not 1 teaspoon? Maybe it was just us, but we thought it was too much. If it’s not a typo I’ll just adjust next time. I just found your blog recently and really enjoy it as I’m trying to organize my house. Thanks for all your great ideas and encouragement! Enjoy those kiddos, they grow up fast. Mine are in college and even though I work part time, it is hard to adjust to them being gone. I know, I know, hard to believe as I was like you, it took me years to adjust to staying home, but you will understand somewhere down the road. 🙂
Andrea says
yes, I think it’s supposed to be 1 tsp! Sorry. I can’t believe noone has mentioned that in all these years!
Also, I actually changed the post to say 1/2 tsp. because I don’t even think I add a full teaspoon now (I never measure anymore!) Hope you will try it again 🙂
Debbie says
I’m making this right now for our Saturday lunch. Did you flatten and spread out your dough? It seems my packets are a little smaller and I have extra filling after I did 4 packets. I used 3 cups chicken. Now I’m not sure what to do with the leftover filling.
Andrea says
Yes Debbie, I flatted out the packets some… and also, the recipe is for EIGHT chicken packets, not 4. So it’s not surprising you have quite a bit of extra filling 🙂
Debbie says
Thanks, Andrea. My bad, I didn’t see it is for 8 pockets. I relied on the picture. My husband loved it! He’s a picky eater so it was a success. Now to buy more crescent rolls. 🙂
Andrea says
you can always just put the filling in the freezer or eat it on toast or crackers too.
Deb says
So excited to make these tonight for dinner esp. since I have very picky eaters in my house (including the hubby)! Thanks for sharing such easy recipes!
Demaroge says
These do sound yummy! I will be trying these when the weather is not-so-hot.
I love to make chicken and dumplings from leftover chicken (even a rotisserie chicken from the store.) My go-to chicken recipe is in the crock pot.
1 – Chicken + dry Italian seasoning packet slow cooked until tender (4-5 hours on high)
2 – remove chicken
3 – add 1 cube of cream cheese until melty then stir
4 – add 1 can of cream of chicken soup (you can use two for lots of gravy) then stir
5 – one small can of button mushrooms (if you like them)
6 – replace chicken
7 – cook rice or pasta while chicken and gravy is heating
It is very good with broccoli!
Paula says
I made this for dinner last night! Yum!
Uncoordinated says
Thank you so much! I wanted to make sure that I actually could premake these then freeze for reheating in a microwave. I wont have time for any proper cooking during term so I plan on making about 3 months worth of grab and go food to freeze, and really liked the idea of the pockets. Also, I like the stew idea, I think I could freeze it in muffin tins for individual portions then defrost and microwave with rice
uncoordinated says
Thank you! I’m going to give the chicken pot pie a try, but is there a particular way to freeze them? and can i just take one out and microwave at uni or would I need an oven?
Andrea says
Well, I’m not exactly sure what you mean… are you going to make the chicken packets with the pot pie filling? If so, I would bake the chicken packets as directed in the oven), let them cool, and then wrap them individually for the freezer. They won’t be nearly as crispy, but once they are cooked, you can just heat them up in the microwave whenever you want to eat just one.
However, depending on how quickly you will eat them, they will last in the fridge for at least a few days. And you could also just make the filling and store that in the freezer too. It would be great as a stew!
uncoordinated says
Is there any non dairy substitute filling for these? I’m a student midwife and I really need good freezable food that I can take out for shift work, but I also can’t mix meat and milk, so I’m hoping a more experienced cook will be able to help!
Andrea says
Well, I don’t think you can make this exact recipe without dairy… but there are plenty of other recipes you could make. For example, I have a yummy chicken pot pie recipe that is basically like a chicken/veggie casserole with a crust. You could make the filling for the pie and leave out the evaporated milk (I’ve done this already an it tastes fine). You could also add less broth back in at the end so the mixture is “thicker” and then scoop that mixture into crescent dough to make similar packets. They would probably be much more “runny” but I’m sure they’d still taste good!
Kris says
I made these for dinner last night and my husband and I both loved them. Leftovers for lunch today! Thanks for the easy recipe (I had shredded chicken in the freezer so it was super fast to through together)!
Ramona says
Andrea, I tried these up last night for dinner and the whole family loved them! Thanks for sharing such easy recipes!
Andrea says
yay — so glad your family liked it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Ramona says
Do you think that the filling would be o.k. in the freezer? My husband said he could make a meal out of the filling itself. I thought this would be a great “hot pocket” meal to make on a busy night.
Kjrsten says
These were very yummy. The only type of cream cheese I had on hand was veggie, but I went ahead and used it. So good! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Debra Kapellakis says
looks yummy!
Amber Peters says
I use a recipe very similar but we eat our over rice topped with gravy. Yum Yum.
Leanne says
can’t wait to try this one with a side dish of fruit salad!! yum!!
Allison says
These look fantastic! I’m trying to “pin” this recipe on Pinterest, but it says that it’s not available to pin. Can you add it to your pinboard, so it can be re-pinned? Just curious…The only way I can remember what I want to try is if it’s on Pinterest! Kinda sad…=0)
Karen @ Abundance on a Dime says
I make something similar to this that we call “pocket sandwiches”. I use my Whole Wheat Refrigerator Bread Dough (http://abundanceonadime.blogspot.ca/2008/05/bread-solution-refrigerator-bread-dough.html) instead of the crescent rolls. I’ve stuffed them with all kinds of combinations of meats, cheeses, and vegetables (and yes, tuna works, too!) Little bits of leftovers like stews, curries, stir fries, etc can be tucked into them too – and no one will even realize they’re eating leftovers 🙂 I cut a few slits in the tops of the pockets before baking so the dough doesn’t get soggy from trapped steam.
Amy says
We love these in our family and always have them after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey. I do make them, wrap in wax paper and freeze. That way all you have to do is unwrap and bake. It’s nice to be able to cook however many are needed. Yum!
Sylvia says
This is what I always take for dinner to friends who just had babies.
Chalyse Meiklejohn says
Sounds yummy!
Have you heard of the recipe (more of a snack type food) that is putting pepperoni and part of a string cheese on a cresent and rolling it then baking it? I saw it on a commercial – it tastes like mini pizzas! I can’t remember how long you back them though 🙁 lol
Beth says
Ooooh – these look so yummy and so easy! They remind me of a similar recipe my mom made – they were basically the same but with a southwest twist to the filling.
Thanks for sharing – can’t wait to try them!
Jessica says
That looks yummy. I’m gonna put it on my. Menu for next week. Really, the possibilities of what you could stuff a crescent roll packet with seem endless.
Gonna pin this to my recipe board on pinterest.
Xx
Jess
dee says
These sound delicious, but what could I use instead of cream cheese as my sons don’t like that or mayo? Thanks!
Demaroge says
I think mozzarella cheese would work and maybe a little egg white to bind it all together?
I am thinking like a stuffing for pasta tubes or shells….
Tracy says
Sounds great! I like to make Bar-b-que chicken pizza – ready made crust, bar-b-que sauce, shredded chicken, shredded mozerella. Easy, quick, delish.
Julie says
This looks so yummy! I am going to try this for dinner tomorrow. Thank you!!
Peitra says
They look delicious! I don’t have any chicken at the moment…. Do you think it would work with tuna and broccoli?
Demaroge says
I bet it would. The broccoli is going to be more ‘wet’ as it is cooking than the original recipe. Maybe you could reduce or eliminate the milk?
Raquel says
Oh yum! Those look good and I love easy! Going to make those. My favorite chicken would be Chicken Pot Pie or Chicken Kiev. 🙂