Chicken Strudel

Chicken Strudel

Hold your horses.  Stop the presses.  Blow me over with a feather.  H*** has frozen over. Elizabeth tasted a new dish (with both chicken and spinach) that was placed in front of her and said “that is good!”  I think there was even an exclamation point in her voice.  

I tried to make this dish years ago.  Don’t think it was received with the same results.  But I found this recipe listed in Uncle Willy’s binder so I decided to try it again.  Warning: there is a pain in the rump factor of about a 7.  Working with phyllo (said: “fee-low”, not “f-eye-low” as the kids keep reminding me) can test your patience more than a 3-kid teen+tween combo.

If your kid eats it and praises you simultaneously, I say “suck it up and make the strudel!”

From Stop and Smell the Rosemary, The Junior League of Houston Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and chopped into small pieces (about 2-3 cups of cooked chicken)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound fresh spinach – or one box frozen
• 12 oz Muenster cheese, shredded (3 cups)
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 large beaten egg
• 1 lb. frozen phyllo pastry – thawed
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• Paprika

Heat olive oil and saute onions.  Add spinach and cook for 5 minutes.  Let cool.  Stir in cheese, wine, salt and pepper, and egg.  Add chicken.

Set oven at 375 degrees. 

Place one sheet of phyllo dough on waxed paper.  Brush with butter and sprinkle each layer with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs.  Repeat to make 4-5 layers.  Spoon half of the chicken mixture onto one end of the dough.  Roll and tuck in edges and end.  Brush top with additional butter and sprinkle with paprika.  Repeat steps above to make a second loaf.  Make diagonal cuts on top of each loaf – about 1” apart.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool before slicing.