A few weeks ago the news came out that one of my favorite brunch spots in Athens {Georgia, not Greece} had closed. Heartbreaking. Five Star Day and I had some great times together. At least the Kiwi got to eat there a couple times before it closed so that he could be indoctrinated on my absolute favorite thing of theirs–the Poppy Seed Chicken Salad. Oh my yum. It was so good! However, since we will never be able to have Five Star Day’s again {sob}, I thought that I should figure out how to make an acceptable version of it myself.

If you want this to be a super quick recipe, just buy a rotisserie chicken instead of roasting the chicken yourself. You’ll only need about half of the meat though, so make sure you have a use for the extra!

Chicken Salad Croissants

The Chicken
2 bone-in chicken thighs and legs {2 chicken breasts work too}
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper

The Goodies
2 tbsp ricotta cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
10-15 grapes
2 Tbsp pecans {these spiced pecans would be delicious}
2 tbsp poppy seeds

The Sandwich
2 croissants
2 leaves of romaine lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Then wash the chicken and pat dry. Put the chicken in the pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the herbs, salt, and pepper, and then rub everything into the chicken really well. Pop it in the oven for about 60 minutes.

{If you are using chicken breasts, do the same thing the prepare the chicken, but before you pop it in the oven, wrap it in tin foil so it doesn’t dry out. You should also reduce the cooking time to 45 minutes.}

When the chicken is finished, let it cool for a quick minute and then get to shredding. Using two forks, pull the bits of meat off the bone, and then put your shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Toss in all of the yummy goodies and mix well.

Cut your croissants in half lengthwise and put your romaine on the bottom piece of the croissant. Load it up with the chicken salad and close her up. Enjoy!