I have been trying to cook from my pantry this week, and I had chicken, mushrooms and puff pastry which, when I think about it actually came from my fridge, but you get what I mean. In an effort to use up what I already have I’m shopping from my own kitchen. The only thing I bought for this dish was Havarti cheese, which was an impulse buy because I have never cooked with it before and I wanted to try. Havarti is a soft, creamy cheese, not too strong in flavour, so it was ideal for these parcels. And the bonus was that the kids, who love everything pastry just like their mother, ate everything, including the mushrooms without a comment. Oh, and another bonus was the new pastry brush that I HAD TO BUY so I could make this recipe!
Chicken and Mushroom Cheesy Parcels
Ingredients:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1 Large Onion, diced
200g Havarti Cheese, cubed or grated
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup Milk
1 Tbl Dijon Mustard
6-8 Sheets Puff Pastry (depending on how much filling you place in each parcel)
Melted Butter to brush over pastry
Sesame Seeds for decoration
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 200C.
Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and add the mushrooms and onions.
Sauté until mushrooms and onion are softened.
Remove from the pan and set aside until needed.
Slice your chicken breasts into pieces about the size of fillets.
Warm the milk in the same pan on the stove and bring to a simmer.
Poach the chicken slowly in the milk until it is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pan when done and discard the milk.
Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and toss back into the pan with the mushroom and onion mixture, pepper, dijon mustard and havarti cheese.
Stir the mixture until the cheese melts and becomes a creamy sauce. The warmth from the pan will help the cheese to melt.
Place approximately 1/6 of the mixture into the centre of each piece of puff pastry.
Now you are going to fold up your pastry a bit like an envelope.
Fold opposite corners in to meet at the centre of the mixture, then fold the other two opposite corners in the same way to envelope the mixture. Press lightly to seal your parcel.
Place parcels on a lightly greased baking tray, allowing room for the pastry to rise.
Brush each parcel with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry has cooked and is golden.
Serve with a tossed salad.
Inspiration for this dish came from a cook book called Cheese Matters by Naomi Crisante.