Ham Broccoli Braid

So this is a recipe I tried twice. The first time I made the terrible mistake of thinking I could substitute thyme for parsley. DO NOT EVER! Make that mistake. It was awful I threw the whole thing away. I made the parsley version tonight and it was much better. This is my own twist on a recipe I found on allrecipes.com using leftover ham. I buy spiral cut hams after holidays like easter, thanksgiving or christmas. I freeze what we don't eat (about 2 or 3 slices a bag) and then reuse the ham in omelets or other recipes that call for cooked ham. There are tons of leftover ham recipes out there and I'm all about disguising left overs for my picky eaters. This recipe is a great customizer, too. You can really put what ever you want in it. This one turned out great and is fairly easy to make.

It's not super pretty, but I'm sure you could make it better I was in a hurry and no one to impress LOL

Ham Broccoli Braid


2 slices spiral cut ham, chopped (you can use any cooked ham or chicken)
2 c. chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen doesn't matter; thaw if frozen)
1 small onion chopped
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (I used the Mexican blend you can use any you like)
1/2 c. sour cream 
2 (8oz) cans refrigerated cresent dough


1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Saute broccoli and onion in a little oil till tender.
3. In large bowl combine everything except dough and mix thoroughly.
4. Prepare the dough. Unroll the crescent dough, and arrange on a flat baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough (or you can kneed it all together and roll it out in one sheet between two pieces of parchment paper or on a floured surface then transfer to baking sheet. I found this way alot less stressful. It's really up to you). Using a kinfe cut 1"wide strips in towards the center starting on the long sides. there should be a solid strip 3" wide down the center with fringe down each side.
5. Spread the filling along the center strip. Fold strips over alternating each side. Pinch or twist to seal.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until dough is done and golden brown (depends on thickness if you rolled it out so try to make it thin).