Chicken Asparagus Croissant Bake
Bring Back The Eighties
This is one of those cozy, crowd-pleasing dinners that looks a lot fancier than it actually is. This Chicken Asparagus Croissant Bake has buttery crescent rolls, seasoned chicken, and asparagus get baked together. It is finished with a creamy cheese sauce that makes the whole dish feel indulgent without a ton of work.
I had a craving for something that felt a little 1980s fancy. Just like those recipes that used to seem so gourmet but came from those thin little grocery checkout cookbooks I still love collecting. I wanted chicken, something green, a creamy sauce, and of course crescent rolls. I tested this out and it turned out absolutely delicious.
Mr. Tipsy, of course, said he would leave out the asparagus because he is a heathen, but I love it in here. If you also live with a heathen, you can skip the green stuff and it will still be great.
Scary Cheese Sauce That Doesn’t Have To Be Scary
The only part of this recipe that takes a little extra effort is the cheese sauce, and even that isn’t hard. This is called making a Roux. I like to make it in the same pan I cooked the chicken and asparagus. This will add extra flavor. While the measurements are listed, don’t panic if you need to adjust it slightly with a splash more milk.
You’re aiming for a texture similar to a can of cream soup after adding water. You want this to be not too thick and not too thin. It needs to be just loose enough to melt the cheese smoothly. I actually prefer to keep it a little thinner since it gets poured over the baked croissants. If you follow the steps, it comes together very easily.
Choose Your Own Cheese
If you don’t like Swiss cheese, you can easily swap in whatever cheese you prefer. Mozzarella, cheddar, or really anything you love will work and still taste great in this dish.
I do recommend shredding your own cheese if you can. Freshly shredded melts much better both in the sauce and on top of the rolls.
Don’t Be Afraid To Season
The trick to really good chicken is seasoning it well. Season with your hear. Be sure to let it sit out for a bit before cooking so it’s closer to room temperature. For whatever reason, it just cooks up juicier and more flavorful every time.
I also have a Chicken Marinating Trick for chicken breasts that I think also really works well. This trick involves using Sprite to marinate!
Asparagus Trimming Trick
One easy trick for prepping asparagus is to gently bend each spear until it naturally snaps. It will break exactly where the tough, woody end starts, so you’re left with the tender part every time without having to guess where to cut. It’s quick, a little satisfying, and saves you from biting into those stringy ends.
Chicken Asparagus Croissant Bake
Buttery crescent rolls are stuffed with seasoned chicken, tender-crisp asparagus, and Swiss cheese, then baked until golden. Finished with a creamy, bubbly cheese sauce, this cozy casserole is easy enough for a weeknight but feels like something special.
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin sliced chicken breast
- *when seasoning just be sure every breast has a light dusting of the seasonings on both sides
- Garlic salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Onion powder to taste
- Paprika to taste
- Poultry seasoning to taste
- Olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces
- 8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 1/2 cans crescent roll dough
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk, plus more if needed
- Dried parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken with garlic salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika, and poultry seasoning. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Sear the chicken on both sides until cooked through. Because the chicken is thin, this will cook quickly. Remove from the pan and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. The cut each breast into thinner strips
- In the same pan, add the asparagus and cook for a few minutes until slightly tender but still crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Unroll the crescent dough. If using triangles, leave them as is.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of shredded Swiss cheese, 1 to 2 pieces of chicken, and 2 to 3 pieces of asparagus to the wide end of each crescent. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9 x 13 or similar sized baking dish. This should make about 12 roll ups.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on them the first time you make this as ovens can vary.
- While the croissants bake, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the same pan you cooked the chicken and asparagus in. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and slightly thickened. You want the consistency to be like a thinned out cream of something soup.
- Add most of the remaining Swiss cheese, reserving about 1/2 cup. Stir until melted. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk. The sauce should be slightly loose so it can spread and bubble.
- Remove the croissants from the oven once golden. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese.
- Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes until the sauce is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with dried parsley before serving.