Make Chicken & Asparagus Crepes

Oh boy - I haven't posted a recipe in a gazillion years, so I thought it was time to put one here today! As life gets busy, I find it easy to start slacking at the stove, and meals get simpler and not-so-creative. Well, I'm determined to get back into meal planning this Fall and cook up some yumminess again. Meal planning really helps us save money, makes dinner time less stressful, and it also reminds me that cooking is super fun and creative (when you have it all planned out and ready to go)! (In case you want to read more about my meal planning philosophy or see some ideas, you can have a look at this meal planning series I did a while ago.)

These chicken and asparagus crepes are SO delicious. They are one of my favourite things to make for family dinners. They are a little more finicky than some suppers, but you can make the crepes in advance if you'd like since you'll be warming everything in the oven anyhow. They are tasty, light, and my kids love them too!

It took me a few tries before I could finally make crepes come off of the pan nicely. The trick is to buy a nice, large non-stick pan or ensure the one you have is in good condition with no scratches or roughness. Use only a small amount of butter to coat the pan, and have a good silicone spatula on hand for flipping. It takes practice to make crepes, but they are definitely worth it.

I like how this is an all-in-one dish: the veggies, meat and bread is all in one beautiful package. For my kids, I'll chop up their crepe before serving so that the asparagus and crepes are in easy-to-manage bites.

Chicken & Asparagus Crepes

(Modified from Epicurious)

Ingredients: 

Filling

• 6 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
• 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed

Crêpes

• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 whole large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

Make filling (or make crepes first in advance):

Melt 5 Tbsp butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and whisk for about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Reserve about a ½ cup of sauce for topping if desired. Add mushrooms and cooked chicken into sauce and stir.

Cook asparagus in a pot of boiling water until it's tender-crisp.

Make crepes:

Whisk together milk, whole egg, and yolk in a small bowl, then gradually add flour and salt.

Heat a skillet until hot, then brush lightly with some melted butter. Spoon about 2 Tbsp batter into skillet, tilting to coat bottom. Cook for a few seconds until underside is lightly browned, then loosen crêpe with a spatula and flip. Cook until just cooked through, and transfer to plate. Continue until batter is used up.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lay two asparagus spears & then spread ¼ cup filling across center of 1 crepe and roll into a cylinder. Transfer to a buttered baking dish, then continue with the rest of the crepes. Spoon on the reserved sauce if desired. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!