Chipotle Chicken Roll + Follow Me

First things first. Tomorrow I'm going to announce an exciting giveaway for MPLT readers. Here's some forewarning: you'll want to be a follower of MPLT in order to increase your likelihood of winning. So if you're not a follower of MPLT, I suggest you do so NOW. Click the follow button the right-hand side. Log in using your gmail (or other email), and presto - you're a follower.

Now, moving on to bigger and better things.

Tonight I'm making Chad's all-time favorite thing to eat - you know, for our anniversary and all. Because I'm nice like that. It is pretty tasty but kinda a pain in the butt to make since it involves phyllo dough. And any of you that bake know that phyllo dough is a testy little bugger.

But my love of Chad outweighs my hate of working with phyllo dough - so here it is, friends:

Chipotle Chicken Roll with Avocado Dipping Sauce


Ingredients:
* 1 lb ground chicken breast
* 6 green onions, thinly sliced
* 1 avocado (I bow to you, oh great avocado)
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 c reduced-fat cheddar cheese
* 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely sliced (You can find these in a can in your Mexican section of your local grocery store. I always use more than the 1 they recommend - like 2 or 3 or maybe more. I'm wild.)
* 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 pinch salt
* 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
* 1 pinch pepper
* 1 garlic clove
* 6 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
* 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
* 3 limes, juiced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine the ground chicken, cheese, garlic, green onion and chipotles - season with s&p. Transfer the mixture to a large Ziploc bag. Turn the bag into a homemade pastry bag by trimming about 1 inch off one of the bottom corners of the bag.

3. Arrange one layer of phyllo dough with the long side closest to you on your kitchen counter, brush liberally with the melted butter, season this with salt & pepper. Repeat three times. (Tip for working with phyllo: Leave a damp cloth over the unrolled phyllo doll layers when you’re not working with it. Phyllo dough layers are super thin and fragile – and if you leave them exposed they’ll dry out and be impossible to work with. And you'll scream obscenities at your husband like "WHY DO YOU FRIGGIN' MAKE ME MAKE THIS!??!!?")

4. Place the trimmed end of the pastry bag 1/2 inch in from the left side & 1/2 inch up from the bottom of the phyllo sheet. Squeeze half the chicken mixture from the bag while moving along in a straight line from left to right. Roll the front edge of the phyllo sheet away from you, encasing the chicken mixture. Continue until you have completed a long roll. Tuck the ends in and brush the entire outside of the phyllo roll with more melted butter. Transfer the first roll to a rimmed cookie sheet, putting the seam side down.

5. Repeat this process to make the second roll with the remaining half of the chicken mixture.

6. Bake for 15 mins, or until the roll feel firm to the touch.

7. While the phyllo-wrapped chicken is in the oven, cut the avocado in half and remove skin and seed. Place in a food processor/blender and mix with lime juice, cilantro, course salt and about 3 Tbsp of water. Process until the avocado mixture is smooth, then stream the Olive Oil into the dressing. Spice up to taste with hot sauce.

8. Once the rolls are cooked, remove this from oven & let them cool just enough to handle. Cut each roll in half, then cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Or give your husband a roll to himself and he’ll love you forever and shower you with diamonds. Serve with dipping sauce.

This is a man-pleasing meal for some reason. All men I know LOVE this dish. Just sayin'. If you're trying to woo some man - or trying to get your hubby to buy you a new purse or something - I suggest you make it pronto!

Supposedly this is a Rachel Ray recipe. She annoys me - but if her chicken roll makes Chad happy, I'll get over it!

pic @via.