Recipe - Chicken Croquettes

We had turkey for Easter dinner this year, so I decided to use the leftovers to make a tried and true recipe we all enjoy called Chicken Croquettes.  I usually make this dish, as the name implies, with chicken, but it is equally delicious with turkey--in fact, no one can tell the difference.  Served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and homemade cranberry sauce, it was like reliving Thanksgiving in April--which no one was complaining about! 

Chicken Croquettes are elegant enough to serve for company, yet easy enough for a weeknight dinner for the fam.  They can be made ahead, waiting in the fridge until time to bake, or even frozen, both before or after baking.  The recipe makes 16 good sized croquettes, so there are plenty for leftovers (no cooking for me tonight!).  See instructions at the end of the post for making these with either chicken or turkey.

Chicken Croquettes

8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ stick butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 bunch sliced green onions
1/4 cup chives (optional)
2 small cans mushrooms, or 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 cups Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing
1 stick melted butter
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet chicken gravy mix
5 to 6 large chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or 5 cups cubed cooked Turkey) 
 

-Lay chicken out in oblong pan.  Salt generously.  Add 1/2 cup of water to pan, cover tightly with foil and cook in oven until done (375 for at least 45 minute—then check it).  When it’s done, remove any fat and dice it up (an electric knife works best).  Cool in fridge until ready to use.  Save broth from cooking chicken for gravy.

-Leave butter and cream cheese at room temp an hour or so to soften.  Using an electric mixer, cream together with salt, pepper, chives, and green onion.  By hand, stir in mushrooms, and chicken.  If using fresh mushrooms, sauté them and discard juices.  Cool before adding to cream cheese mixture.

-Mix well.  Mixture will be very thick. 
-Divide the chicken mixture into 16 equal portions.  Shape into balls. 

-Place a ball onto the center of each triangular crescent.  Wrap it around so it’s completely covered with the dough, stretching it and sealing together as needed.

-Pour the stuffing crumbs into a bowl.

Crush some of the bigger pieces with a small bowl or cup so it's not overly chunky.  Melt the stick of butter.  Cool a bit so it isn't extremely hot.  Immerse the balls into the butter, then roll into the stuffing crumbs, covering well.  

-Lay these out on an ungreased cookie sheet and refrigerate, covered, or cook immediately (uncovered) at 325 degrees for about 40 to 45 minutes until browned nicely.  They will raise in the oven.

Before baking . . . 

After baking . . .

-To make gravy, mix broth from chicken plus 1 can chicken broth with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a packet of chicken gravy mix (whisk this into the broth before adding it to the soup).  Mix together well, then heat in saucepan.  

When it comes to a boil, stir in thickener made of flour and water (probably about 1 cup of flour to 1.5 cups water.  Run through a wire sieve after whisking together to get rid of any lumps). Add the amount you need to bring the gravy to desired thickness while it is boiling.  As soon as it reaches this point, stir and simmer a minute more, then remove from heat.

NOTE:  For convenience, you could also use a jar of store-bought chicken gravy.  For instructions on how to make turkey gravy, see below.

-Serve the gravy over the Croquettes and mashed potatoes.  Makes 16 Croquettes.  

Turkey Gravy

When I cook a turkey, I like to remove the fat before making the gravy.  If I'm making gravy to go along with the dinner, I use a fat separator to be used with liquids.  If I'm not making gravy but want to be able to save the broth to make gravy another day (such as for my croquettes) it is very easy to remove all the fat and end up with gravy that is almost completely fat free. 

1.  When the turkey is done, drain off all the juices.
2.  Refrigerate until the fat comes to the top of your container and hardens.

It's a bit shocking to see how much fat there is.  But it's great to know you are soon going to be throwing it away and be left with just the delicious, healthy turkey broth for your gravy!

It's easy to see exactly where the fat ends and the broth begins.

It's very satisfying to see how much fat will not be fattening up your family!  Now you can warm the broth, which will have a gelatin-like consistency, and it will turn into delicious gravy once thickened in the manner explained above for the chicken gravy.  If you are using it for Croquettes, add the can of cream of mushroom soup before boiling and adding flour thickener.  If you need lots of gravy, you can also add a packet of chicken or turkey gravy mix and a couple of chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in a few Tablespoons of hot water in the microwave.