Shredded Pesto Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Crepes with Fontina Cheese

A couple weeks ago, while on my life changing yoga retreat (I'm so that girl), we made buckwheat crepes as one of our DIY dinners. It reminded me how much I used to like making and eating crepes. After searching back on this blog, I see that the last time I made crepes was in February, 2012! So tonight I invited one of my best friends and long lost roommate over for dinner to try my hand at crepe making again.

The original plan was to make buckwheat crepes with shredded chicken in a pesto sauce. The buckwheat nor the pesto was executed (TJ's didn't have any buckwheat flour, and my existing jar of pesto had gone moldy), but the crepes turned out pretty crepe-like! One of my favorite parts about cooking is that you can reinvent a dinner menu on the spot if necessary and no one really has to know the difference. Unless you feel like telling everyone on your blog.

We both liked the final product, but I'm going to put the recipe I intended on making because I think it would have been pretty darn good. Also, these were done is an everyday, starter-kitchen skillet - no crepe pans here. It worked out just fine. 

Shredded Pesto Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Crepes with Fontina Cheese
(3-4 servings)
1 pound chicken thighs or breasts
olive oil
2 tablespoons basil pesto (or more to taste)
2 cloves garlic
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cups packed spinach

1 cup all purpose flour (or buckwheat flour)
2 eggs
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup Fontina cheese, grated
2 cups arugula
lemon juice
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400. If using chicken thighs, coat with olive oil, salt and pepper in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool before shredding with fork and knife. Move chicken into a mixing bowl and stir in pesto and 1-2 teaspoons olive oil until chicken is well coated.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add garlic and let cook for about 60 seconds until aromatic. Add in mushrooms and stir until they begin to release liquid. Add spinach and cook briefly until spinach starts to wilt. Remove from heat and add to bowl of shredded chicken.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together flour and eggs. Slowly whisk in milk and water until a runny consistency. Stir in oil and salt. Clean the large skillet (or crepe pan if you're fancy) and return to heat. Coat the pan with oil or butter. Scoop about 1/3-1/2 cup crepe batter into the pan and spread around with spatula. Allow to cook for a couple minutes until the sides start coming up from the pan. Flip over and cook another minute or so. Repeat with batter until you have desired quantity of crepes. Stuff with chicken mixture and shredded cheese.

Serve with a little Fontina cheese on top and simple side salad of arugula tossed in lemon juice and olive oil. Give it all a few grinds of salt and pepper.