Here is a quick and easy idea for a twist on the usual standard dinner fare. I’m not a big fan of skinless boneless chicken breasts, but utilize them occasionally in cooking. I always have some puff pastry in the freezer left over from catering. This particular evening I had some frozen béchamel sauce I had leftover from making lasagna. As a chef I save as much I can in the freezer to repurpose later in another dish. “Waste not , want not” especially with food costs soaring. Some frozen broccoli, béchamel, chicken breasts, Dijon mustard, and Gouda make for an easy elegant stunning meal. I called these galettes which we normally associate with a free from sweet pastry. Why not savory? The chicken breast stays tender as it cooks up in the creamy sauce and puff pastry. Be sure to use a thermometer to check chickens doneness without compromising the presentation before serving. Poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165-175 F . Here is quick link for Béchamel , a mother sauce that should be in your repertoire.
- Chicken breasts
- Thawed frozen Puff pastry sheets to equal amount of chicken pieces
- 2 cups Béchamel sauce ( see link in post)
- 1 cup grated Gouda
- 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 cup frozen broccoli
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 egg beaten for pastry wash
- salt and pepper to taste
- Prepare you béchamel. Add grated gouda and broccoli. Let sit for 20 min until a little thickened and cooler before assembly.
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Line a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper .
- Place a chicken breast atop a piece of puff pastry on the sheet pan.
- Add a few tablespoons of thickened cooled sauce and quickly wrap to seal. Brush with egg yolk.
- Reheat Béchamel with chicken stock.
- One galetttes are browned and chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165-175 F , remove from oven.
- Serve hot with more sauce ladled over the pastry.
In other news this has been an amazing week as I go through some career transformations and validations. An illustration I did a while ago and forgot about for my former employers contest, was picked up and reposted on the Cosmetic Brands IG page! For me this is a huge validation of my creative talents and skills .
