Inspired by a Pampered Chef chicken recipe, this broccoli braid highlights goose breast, crisp vegetables and sharp cheese for perfectly blended flavours. Showcase your favourites by adding your own choice of meat, spices, veggies and type of cheese. That said, goose makes the braid a big hit at the dinner table, even for those who don’t think they like goose!

Ingredients:

• 1 generous cup broccoli florets, chopped small
• 2 cups cooked goose, shredded or chopped (see Cook's Tip)
• ¾ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup red onion, diced
• 1 generous cup sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp Epicure Lemon Dilly dip mix or dried dill weed
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pkg (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dough
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix the goose, broccoli, bell pepper, onion and garlic in a large bowl.
2. Add the cheese and mix gently. Add mayonnaise, dill mix, and salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
3. Open both crescent rolls packages and spread them out over a large stone sheet (a cookie sheet also works). Be sure to keep the crescent roll dough refrigerated until ready to use. Once the dough is warm, it becomes soft and sometimes sticky, making it difficult to work with. Squeeze the dough together at all seams, so there are no gaps.
4. Spread the filling evenly over the middle of the dough. Cut generous 1-inch thick strips in the dough on both sides of the filling the whole way down. To braid, lift two opposite strips of dough up, twist once, then lay over filling so that the ends meet at the centre. Lightly pinch the ends together. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends up at the end to seal.
5. Brush the egg white over the dough. Sprinkle the braid with the slivered almonds. Bake until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Cook's Tip:

There are several methods to prepare goose breasts for this recipe. You can use a slow cooker or an Instant Pot. For the latter method, use chicken broth or boullion, enough to cover the goose breasts completely in the Instant Pot. Select the Meat setting and cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes, depending on size of goose. Once cooking time is complete, you can leave the Instant Pot to release the pressure on its own, or push the lever to vent and quickly release the steam. Once the pressure has released and it’s safe, open the Instant Pot and remove the goose breasts. Using two forks, pull the breasts apart, or chop to your liking.
Whichever method you end up using, the end result is worth it.