Buffalo Chicken Braid

This one is for all (three) of you that were waiting for the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken follow up...

The Buffalo Chicken Braid

Looks fancy huh? Best thing about this recipe is that it looks like you're a hardcore fancy cook but it couldn't be easier. 

What you'll need:

2 cans of crescent rolls (I use the "dough sheets" whenever I can find them)

1 C mozzerella cheese

Blue cheese crumbles

1 purple onion (I didn't have a purple on hand this time and used white... get purple if you can)

Buffalo chicken leftovers 

One egg yolk

Baking sheet

parchment paper

Lay out your dough sheets next to each other and pinch seams closed. If you're using cans crescent roll instead of the sheet make sure you pinch the seams together really well.

Lay down a layer of cheese and onions right down the middle of the dough sheet. I found one dough sheet and one can of crescents. That's why they look different but it works just fine. I like the dough sheets much better for this because I feel like it is a little stretchier and a little puffier when baked... either way it will turn out delicious.

(see, I used white onions and I didn't have as much as I'd like... live and learn)

Lay your shredded chicken on top of your cheese. Make sure you keep everything pretty well in the middle.

Steve likes blue cheese, I don't. You can add whatever else you like before you wrap things up. You can add ranch, extra buffalo sauce, or whatever your heart desires.

Cut one inch strips down the side of your dough. I use clean scissors. I've found that it is much easier than trying to cut the dough with a knife. They don't have to be perfect, just make sure you cut right up to your center pile.

To start your braid, fold the end up over your filling and tuck each fringe to the opposite side. Alternate sides as you pull the strips across at a slight angle and tuck/pinch them to the dough on the other side of the filling. 

I didn't take a great picture of finishing the end put when you get about 3/4 of the way through, tuck the other then and then continue the braid from where you left off. If you don't tuck the other end first you'll get a big messy blob of dough on one end.

You'll end with something like this.

If you don't, don't worry, it took some practice before I figured out how to get everything tucked in nicely.

Scramble your egg yolk with a fork to make and egg wash. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the egg wash over the top of your braid. This helps the braid get a pretty golden brown, and helps it get a nice crisp top. After the wash I sprinkled the braid with a little bit of garlic powder. You can leave it plain or sprinkle more cheese or seasoning.

Bake your braid at 375 for 20-25 minutes until it is nice and browned and the dough feels firm. Don't be scared when you see the egg wash start to brown early, it isn't burning. The first time I made this I also worried that the dough wasn't done. Even tonight it looks a tinsy bit doughy on the inside, but I think it is just the moisture from the chicken. The crust was nice and flaky and didn't feel doughy to eat. When in doubt, keep it in the oven a few extra minutes, just be careful not to burn your bottom crust!

Steve really likes when I make dough braids. The buffalo chicken isn't my favorite but this is another VERY versatile recipe. You can try all kinds of different fillings! My favorite has been a cheddar, broccoli, chicken. For that filling I used two chicken breasts cooked and cubed (You can even use rotisserie chicken meat to save some time), about 1 cup of broccoli, about 2 cups of cheddar cheese (I used sharp Tillamook cheddar), diced onion, and 1/2 C mayo (you can use sour cream as well... just enough to get everything covered and provide a little moisture). You really can play with the fillings and find what works for you. I think next I'm going to try a Pot Pie Braid!

Let me know how things turn out for you, leave any questions in comments, and don't forget to share your experiments with fillings! 

ENJOY!

I found this idea on Pinterest and twisted it to my liking. The link in my pin in now broken so now I just work off of memory and creativity.