Chicken Filo Cigars Recipe
This fabulous recipe disguises canned chicken in a delicious and crisp roll that's fun to make and eat.
SERVES ► 6–8
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 (12-ounce) can light and dark chicken meat, drained
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 32 (14″ × 9″) filo pastry sheets, thawed (recently filo sheets are being made smaller)
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- ⅓ cup grated Romano cheese
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
Thoroughly drain spinach and add to saucepan; cook and stir until water evaporates.
Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Add ricotta, lemon zest, and chicken; remove from heat. Let mixture cool for 20 minutes, then stir in feta cheese.
Unroll filo sheets and cover with a damp cloth.
Place one rectangle on work surface, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a teaspoon of Romano cheese.
Cover with another rectangle. Place ¼ cup of the chicken mixture on the short side of the rectangle, leaving a 1″ border at sides. Roll up, folding in sides, to make a fat cylinder.
Brush with more butter and place on parchment paper-covered cookie sheets.
Repeat with remaining filo, butter, Romano cheese, and chicken filling.
When all cigars are assembled, bake for 15–25 minutes or until they are crisp and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.
Filo Dough
Each box of filo (or phyllo) dough contains about 40 sheets. You must thaw the entire box according to the package directions, even if you're only using half of the dough. Luckily, it can be refrozen again and again. Make sure that you keep the dough that's waiting well covered, and reseal the package carefully.
