Like so many Americans, this past year has been very difficult for me and my family.  I was blessed with a great job for nearly 10 years and then a buyout, months of transition, and finally a layoff.  After over a year of unemployment, I have finally found work again and it’s a great position with a great company that happens to care a lot about food! 

The position has required my family and I to move to another city and while we wait for our house to sell, I’ve been living with very loving and caring relatives who take such good care of me that I haven’t really made a meal in nearly 2 months!  Tonight, I finally stepped in and volunteered to cook.  Suddenly I remember what it’s like to stop in at the grocery store on the way home, pick up necessary ingredients and then throw them together quickly so the entire family can actually eat at a reasonable evening hour. 

Broccoli Braid Fresh Out of the Oven

This meal was actually quite easy and cheap, has a beautiful presentation and would comfortably feed 4.  I got the recipe from my AllRecipes.com iPhone app, adjusted for some of the reader comments, but regretted adding the sour cream.  I served it with a very simple salad of spinach and strawberries with vinagrette dressing.  Don’t be intimidated by the braiding.  It isn’t hard and is very quick.  It comes out beautiful! 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked ham, cubed or chopped (I bought the already cooked pkg)
• 1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 small onion (I used a red onion)
• 1 tbsp dried parsley (we were out – so mine just had pepper)
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard (I only used one, not a huge fan of mustard)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
• 2 8oz cans refrigerated crescent dough (I desperately looked for the flat sheet of dough rather than the crescent cuts, but the store didn’t have any.  I do recommend that version!)
• 4 oz of sour cream  – this was suggested by a reviewer and not part of the original recipe.  I think it caused the sauce in mine to be runny and will not include it next time.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  (I preheated to 375 because that is what the dough instructions say.)

In a large bowl, combine ham, broccoli (which I steamed in the microwave for 1 minute), onion (which I sauteed in butter until clear on med-low heat), parsley, mustard, sour cream (if you choose) and cheese.   

Unroll dough and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet.  Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough.  Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides.  There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side.  Spread the filling along the center strip.  Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side.  Pinch or twist to seal. 

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown.