Ring 'O Goodness

Chicken is one of my most favorite cooking ingredients; due in large part to its versatility.  Its a blank canvas that can be dressed up, simplified or even turned into a comfort classic.  The Lemon Herbed Chicken Ring was something that I had experienced years ago in Boston and have recently revisited and turned into a family favorite.

3 full chicken breasts (cooked to your liking, keep the seasoning simple as to not clash with the dish)
1/2 cup diced Red Bell Pepper
1/2 cup diced Green Bell Pepper

5 Tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley (Fresh is the way to go, but if using dried cut down to 2 1/2 T)

2 large lemons (zested and juiced) - third lemon needed for garnish

4 cloves of garlic (I prefer to zest my garlic to avoid large chunks - best way if to use a microplane)
1 cup of shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Fresh Mozzarella will NOT work here, its too wet)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Mayonnaise (your choice, I prefer Hellman's or Duke's - depends on the sale that week)
4 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
3/4 cup of Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 packages of refrigerated crescent rolls (to cut a few calories I use the reduced fat)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Shred cooked chicken
Place chicken and diced peppers into bowl, add lemon zest, juice and grated garlic
Finely chop parsley and add to chicken mixture, along with mayo (start with a 1/2 cup and add more if needed) and 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning
Add 1 cup of Mozzarella Cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
Stir till well incorporated (add additional mayo if needed, you want the filling moist but not soupy)

Unroll crescent rolls, separate into 16 triangles
Spray your pizza stone with cooking spray (you will appreciate this when its time to serve)
Arrange rolls on a pizza stone, slightly overlapping in a circle (wide edges 4 inches from stones edge; points will hang off the edges)

Spoon chicken mixture evenly over the dough ring
Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at
center to form a ring. (Filling will show.)
Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese and Italian Seasoning over the ring

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 to 35 minutes (until dough is fully cooked and the top is golden brown)

Remove from oven;
garnish with lemon slices and remaining parsley.

This sounds like a complicated dish, but its really just a few steps til you reach delicious lemony chicken goodness.

ENJOY!!