My use of egg roll and wonton wrappers is getting out of hand. In the past few months, I’ve used them to make petite lasagnas, buffalo chicken rolls, tuna rangoon, and now chicken parmesan wraps. We could call it me expressing my creativity, but I’ll be fair and admit it’s more closely resembling of obscenity. The good news is that if you buy egg roll wrappers, you’ll have four of my favorite recipes to try out.

For these delicious fold overs, I combined sweet marinara sauce, shredded chicken, baby spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. The idea was born from an intense chicken parmesan sub craving, and the sobering realization that such a meal would involve me having to change out of my pajamas, wash the semi-permanent chocolate mustache off of my kisser, and then interact with other human beings. Not going to happen. Especially not on Sunday at 3pm, a time I respectfully reserve for DVRed episodes of Oprah and the New York Times crossword.

I did what any self-respecting individual would do and used my most earnest voice to bribe Daniel. Promises of puppies, homemade chocolate cake, and my entire bankroll, were wagered. He turned down each and every one, maybe realizing that four paper-wrapped rolls of quarters (no matter how shiny) wouldn’t get him very far in life. I told him that silver would be worth something someday, but no, no budging.

I took to the kitchen with a wicked scowl and a vengeance. In my fridge I found each and every necessary ingredient for a perfect chicken parmesan sandwich minus the soft Italian sub roll. I reluctantly traded my angry cap for my thinking one, and within a few minutes I had leftover egg roll wraps in hand. The rest of the recipe came together in no time at all- just a layering of baby spinach, saucy chicken, creamy mozzarella, and sharp parmesan tucked inside a paper thin sheet of pasta, all baked to a golden brown crisp in the oven. Delicious sprung from desperation.

These are a cross between a hand pie and a calzone, but much smaller and without that lovely doughiness. At first I would have assumed the lack of chewy bread casing to be detrimental to taste and texture, but the beauty of these bites is that they allow you to experience the full flavor of the filling- the sweetness of tomatoes and the savory strands of chicken and melting cheese. The egg roll wrappers just provide a light crunch, almost like layering chicken parmesan on top of tortilla chips (which I imagine would make a lovely plate of nachos). They’re fun because they’re small, light, and hand- holdable. Doesn’t get much better.

And though I’d like to say that I withheld love, affection, and delicious chicken parmesan wraps from Daniel who refused to budge after many dire pleas for him to go to the store for sub rolls, I’ll admit that I shared them with him. I’ll call it a win for both of us, since he loved each and every oozing bite dipped in marinara, and I retained all previously offered bribes for future use.

Here’s how to make them for yourself:

Mix cooked, shredded chicken with your favorite marinara sauce in a small bowl.

Lay the egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. Layer each with a few leaves of spinach, then chicken, followed by mozzarella and parmesan.

Moisten two touching sides with a bit of  water and fold the upper left corner downward, covering the filling, and press to seal on the bottom right corner. Press to seal each of the sides. Repeat with remaining wraps. Coat all 6 of the filled wraps with cooking spray and pop them in the oven for about 12 minutes at 400°, until they turn golden brown. Enjoy them dipped into hot marinara sauce!

Chicken Parmesan Wraps

makes 6

8 oz raw chicken breast

1 cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving (see my favorite recipe here)

6 egg roll wrappers (each 7 inches squared)

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Place the chicken breast in a small pot and fill with enough water just to cover. Bring to a boil on your stovetop, reduce the heat slightly, then simmer for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and let cool before shredding with two forks, pulling against the grain of the meat. Mix the meat with the marinara sauce in a small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay the egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. Layer each with a few leaves of spinach, then chicken, followed by mozzarella and parmesan.

Lightly brush two adjacent sides of the wrapper with water and fold the upper left corner downward, covering the filling, and press to seal on the bottom right corner. Press to seal each of the sides. Repeat with remaining wraps.

Place all 6 filled wraps on a greased wire rack set over a cookie sheet, coat each in cooking spray or a light brushing of olive oil, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn a golden brown.

Serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Nutrition information for 1 wrap:

Calories: 178, Fat: 4.4g, Cholesterol: 32.8mg, Carb: 17.7g, Fiber: 1.1g, Protein: 15.7g

Tagged as: chicken, parmesan, wraps