Freshly baked sandwich pocket fresh from your own oven…This is essentially a homemade hot pocket. I love to find ways to create fresh, home-cooked copies of my favorite processed meals. Not only are the Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Pockets great eaten fresh, but they would also be great frozen, thawed overnight, and then reheated the next day. What else is great about this dish is that you can control the sodium, fat, and calories.

Cooking the meat

Take two large chicken breasts, season well to taste with salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of dry mustard if you like that kind of thing! Bake at 350 until the chicken is cooked through. I like to bake my chicken on a cookie sheet up on wire racks, which keeps the meat out of its own liquid. This allows the chicken to cook more evenly and makes it more appealing overall. However, cooking the breast directly on a baking sheet does not harm the actual taste. To make sure that the breasts are done, cut them in half to allow the middle to cook through more quickly without drying out the rest of the meat. When done, then dice it.

The dough and stuffing

To make four of these pockets you will need a half batch of bread dough. Grab a handful of the pre-made (available in the frozen or refrigerator section) or homemade dough and press it out into a rectangle on a well-floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a thin rectangle, approximately ¼ inch thick.

Spread 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese over the middle section of the dough and then spread 1-2 tablespoons of Alfredo Sauce (homemade or from a jar) on top of the cream cheese. You don’t want to make it TOO saucy or the dough near the sauce won’t cook properly. Then top the sauce mixture with some diced chicken, steamed broccoli, and cheddar cheese.

Next fold the two ends up over the filling mixture. Now fold the other ends up and over the filling mixture, covering completely. Wet your fingers and gently wet the pieces of dough that you will be sealing together and pinch the seams to seal completely.

If any part of the outside of the dough is overly sticky, sprinkle it lightly with flour. Flip over and place on a baking sheet that’s been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. I like to line my baking sheets with tin foil for an easier cleanup. Non-stick foil is great for this, and then there is no need for cooking spray.

Baking the pockets

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the pockets with a mixture of olive oil, garlic powder, parsley, and salt. Cut a small steam vent in the center, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for approximately 30 minutes.

Bake the pockets in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush again with your seasoned oil if desired.

Ingredients

• 1/2 batch or approx. 4 cups bread dough
• 2 large chicken breasts
• 2 cups steamed broccoli
• 1 – 2 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce
• 1 – 2 cups cheddar cheese
• Various seasonings (salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard)
• 1/2 cup olive oil 

Quick Instructions

1. Season and bake chicken breasts in a 350 degree oven until no longer pink in center. Dice chicken and set aside.

2. Roll out a handful of bread dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Spread 1-2 teaspoon of softened cream cheese over dough. Add 1-2 tablespoon of Alfredo Sauce over the cream cheese. Top with 1/2 cup diced chicken, 1/4 cup steamed chopped broccoli, and 1/4 – 1/3 cup cheddar cheese.

3. Fold up ends of dough over the filling mixture. Fold other ends up and over and seal seams shut using a bit of water if necessary.

4. Place seam side down on a prepped baking sheet, cut a small steam vent in the top, and let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place.

5. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Brush with oil mixture and again after baking if desired.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Yield: 4 large pockets

Author profile: 

Andy LaPointe is a health and wellness coach, speaker and the health and wellness radio host on the Talk With Heroes radio network, the largest internet radio broadcast supporting both active and retired military. He has written 12 books on the subject of healthy living, lifestyle entrepreneurship and healthy recipes. His company Traverse Bay Farms has won 23 national food awards at America’s largest and most prestigious food competitions. Traverse Bay Farms is  a #1 award winning super fruit company in America.