In preparation for fall, my very favorite season, I dreamed up this little turnover recipe. It makes a nice, savory treat for dinner and of course, turnovers are so easy to take for lunch the next day. Enjoy!

Herbed Cream Chicken Turnovers

Ingredients

• 1 package refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cooked chicken breast, diced
  Tip: I use frozen chicken breasts. You can pop one straight into the oven or toaster oven and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Take the chicken out at 155 or 160 degrees internal temperature and it’ll finish cooking as you prep the cream cheese filling.
• Herbs – I used dill and chives but you can play around with different combinations. Just go with fresh herbs over dried for this recipe.
• Salt and pepper

Prep

• Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Soften cream cheese in a medium bowl by microwaving for about 15 seconds.
• Dice your chicken breast. The finer the better.
• Prep your herbs – depending on what you chose. I usually just rip a little of what I need off the bushel or use kitchen scissors to snip.
• Add your herbs and 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper to the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium until the mixture gets soft and smooth.
  Note: If you cheese is just piling up in your blades, you need to turn up the speed and beat against the side of the bowl. It will get the mixture out.
• Fold in your diced chicken to the mixture and set aside.
• Roll out your pie crusts and cut each crust in half.
• Spoon your mixture in 4 equal portions on each crust in the center of one side.
• Fold the top half of each crust over the mixture and crimp the edges together to seal. Cut 3 small slits in each turnover.
• Beat the egg and using a pastry brush, brush the turnovers all over to coat. This is what gives it that nice, brown and savory crust.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

A word of advice…

Turnovers can be dry. The cream cheese in this one does help, but you can offer garnishes, too. Sour cream or apple sauce could work, even a little dijon mustard.  Serve with a side salad or tomato slices dusted with salt and pepper. I wouldn’t serve with a starch, but if you really want to carb out you could do mashed potatoes and gravy. The gravy can be used to cut the dryness of the turnover as well.

~Nom On