
Stuffed Chicken Pillows with Cream Cheese and Arugula Pesto: Gourmet Chicken Empanadas
July 8, 2013- Mikka WeeWords

These Stuffed Chicken Pillows are like little gourmet chicken empanadas. The cheesy filling paired with the arugula pesto and shredded Bounty Fresh chicken breasts are a treat to have when you feel hunger pangs invading your belly.


This dish is best prepared ahead. They’re great as either the main course in your office lunchbox or as a quick snack whenever you want. The arugula pesto is made with cashew nuts, giving it a roasted, smoky taste that blends well with the cheese. The water chestnuts add a soft, crunchy bite for a whole other layer of texture. We packed the stuffing into some buttery puff pastry as we felt this combination works best with the yummy chicken creaminess within.

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Stuffed Chicken Pillows with Cream Cheese and Arugula Pesto
Total Time: 60 minutes / Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients for the Chicken
- 1 cup cream cheese
- 3-4 Bounty Fresh boneless chicken breasts, poached and shredded
- 5 pieces water chestnuts, minced
- 1/2 cup grated Quickmelt cheese
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 2 375-gram pack frozen puff pastry blocks, thawed and cut to 4×4-inch squares (makes around 8 per pack)
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Instant gravy
Ingredients for the Arugula Pesto
- 2 cups arugula leaves, blanched and squeezed dry
- ½ cup roasted cashew nuts
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Procedure
- To make the pesto, blend arugula, cashew and garlic in a processor, while drizzling in olive oil. Season to taste. Transfer to a container.
- In a bowl, place 3 tablespoons of pesto, cream cheese, chicken, chestnuts and grated cheese and mix until well combined. Season and set aside.
- Place 1-2 tablespoons chicken mixture in the middle of a cut up puff pastry. Fold the dough corners to the center and over the chicken mixture forming a pillow, making sure there are no openings. Do the same with the rest.
- Dip each pillow in melted butter. Roll on breadcrumbs and shake excess crumbs. Place chicken pillow on lined sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until light brown.
- As the pillows bake, prepare the gravy by following the instructions on the package.
- Serve warm with gravy on the side.

11 responses to “Stuffed Chicken Pillows with Cream Cheese and Arugula Pesto: Gourmet Chicken Empanadas”
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WHAT OMG SARAP
HAD THE SAME REACTION!!! Will make it this weekend! Sooooo excited! Arugula, cream cheese and shredded chicken pa lang, nagugutom na ako. E deep-fried pa! SARAP!
Hoy Agnes! Sa’min mo muna pa taste test yan! 😀
Where do you buy the arugula and the frozen puff pastry?
Frozen puff pastry is available at Santi’s. 🙂 As for the arugula, I think Rustan’s has it sometimes.
Unimart, SnR, Trinoma and SM has it sometimes. 🙂
Can you use a lower-fat substitute for cream cheese? 🙂 Any recos?
Yogurt is surprisingly a good substitute for tangy dairy. 🙂 You can also use cottage cheese, if you wish.
drooool! 🙂 :O
i love this…i’ll try this weekend…family time..thy will love this recipe.hmmmmm
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