Chicken Broccoli Braid

This recipe comes from a Pampered Chef cookbook. I love it, because it is so easy and versatile.

12 oz cooked chicken, chopped (2 cups/about 3 cooked boneless chicken breast halves)
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 cup mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1 tsp dill
1/4 tsp salt
2 pkg (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls, keep cold until ready to use
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbsp slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium mixing bowl, add the chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, cheese, yogurt, dill and salt. Unroll crescent rolls, DO NOT SEPARATE. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of a 12X15 rectangle baking pan. Using a roller, roll dough to seal perforations. On longest sides of pan cut dough into strips 1 1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep. Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strip of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid. Brush egg white over dough. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Yields 6 servings

Variations:
Try bread dough or pie crust in the place of the crescent rolls.
Replace or add fresh spinach.
I like to use this recipe to make stuffed pumpkins. Combine the filling as stated. Instead of rolling the dough out, divide into two triangles each. Use the roller to seal perforations and form a square. Place a small amount of filling in the middle of each square. Bring the dough up over the filling to make a pumpkin then twist to make a stem. Pinch any openings closed. Add orange food coloring to the egg whites and brush over pumpkins. Add green food coloring to a small amount of water and brush over stem. Bake 10-15 minutes.