Mexican Chicken Crescent Braid

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Adapted from Pillsbury

I finally made the Chicken Fajita Crescent Braid (with my own spin) for dinner last night that you guys voted for in my Giveaway post. Sorry it took so long, it's been a busy few days!

Now - I have to admit it didn't look nearly as nice and neat as the picture on the website.  I think I slightly overstuffed, which made the braid difficult.  Plus - as I was almost completely finished folding it up, I realized I forgot the cheese, and had to start over. A bit of a mess.

But - J and I both liked how it turned out.  You'll see that I made many changes to the original recipe, which is why I didn't call it Fajita in my title.

A couple of tips - don't over stuff. :)  And keep any liquid to a minimum.  I would advise you to drain salsa, if you decide to put it into the braid, and use a slotted spoon when transferring your filling to the dough.  I'll italicize my additions and changes.

Ingredients:
1 Pilsbury Recipe Creations dough
1 T vegetable oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 t chili powder (or to taste)
Salt, to taste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3/4 can green chilies (I used the remainder in the rice)
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, chopped
4-6 ou Queso Fresco cheese, shredded/crumbled
1 egg white, beaten
Sour cream and salsa for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, then lay the dough out on the sheet and press to about 8.5x11.

In a large skillet heat the oil.  Add the chicken, chili powder, salt and garlic.  Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the onions, chilies, and black beans.  Cook another 2-3 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Spoon the mixture in a 4-inch line down the center of the dough, length-wise.  Sprinkle the cheese on top.

With scissors or a sharp knife, make 1-inch cuts down the sides of the dough to within 1/2 inch of the filling.

Alternately cross strips over the filling, pressing edges to seal.  Brush with the egg white. (I completely forgot the egg white, but it won't change the taste, just helps to brown up the dough nicely.)

Bake 20-25 minutes until a deep golden brown.  Cut crosswise in strips and serve with salsa and sour cream.

I served this with rice that I threw together, which included white rice, green chilies, chili powder, salt, green onion, salsa and Queso Fresco cheese.