All Wrapped up

So I saw this meal on one of my fav. cooking blogs Mels kitchen cafe.

Now it was a little out of my comfort zone, but since I had previously attempted this roll recipe I thought I could do it. I tried and triumphed. It was perfection- granted it didn't look as Gorgeous as hers did but the tasted was still Phenomenal!

Now this looks a LOT more complicated than it is.

As long as you follow the steps you can make this dish into anything you want. I used mostly the same stuffing as she did- but I plan on trying many more variations of it. ( Her readers had many comments on different ideas and things they have tried)

I rolled it out pretty wide since I had a lot more stuffing that hers called for. It also makes 2 braids so this is a great dish to make one for your family and one to take to someone. ( Which since It was our night to make dinner for my SIL and her family, that is exactly what I did.)

Then I made about a 4 inch groove in the middle that would house the stuffing.
Then I cut strips on either side by hand- this does not need to be perfect each strip was about an inch wide.

Then I loaded up the stuffing in the center that I lightly rubbed with some bbq sauce.

The Stuffing mixture could be basically anything you would like- I did bbq chicken with red onions and cilantro. Topped off with 2 kinds of cheese -monterey jack and sharp cheddar.

This is where your creativity and food preference will come in whatever sounds good to you.

Ideas here

Then start wrapping it up- taking one strip at a time starting at one end and wrapping it over to the other side.

seal up the edges and brush butter on the top
then bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 min.
It felt pretty hard when it came out, but it tasted perfect. Crunchy, chewy and just pure goodness. I can't wait to try some more filling ideas.

BBQ Chicken Braid
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Printable Version with Picture

*Note: the amounts of chicken, onions, barbecue sauce, and cheese in the recipe can be altered based on your preference – simply add more or less to your liking.

*Makes 2 large braids

1 recipe French Bread Rolls
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 red onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

After the french bread roll recipe has gone through the first rise, split the dough into two parts. Lightly cover one portion and set aside. Roll the other portion into about an 11X17-inch rectangle (I roll mine out directly on a silpat liner to make for easy transfer to the baking sheet and oven). Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread half of the barbecue sauce down the center strip. Top with the chicken, onions and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Place the braid on a lined baking sheet (or simply transfer the silpat liner to a baking sheet) and let rest for 15 minutes. While it is resting, follow the same steps above for the second portion of dough. Bake the first braid for 15-20 minutes (while the second braid is resting), until golden brown and bread is baked through. Remove from oven and bake the second braid.

Let the braids rest for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut braid into sections and serve warm.