Waldorf Chicken Wellington

With my oldest daughter going away to camp for a week, I asked her what she'd like for special meals before she left. Her first request was this chicken! It's tender and packed full of flavor, making it totally worth the little bit of extra effort. It was inspired by a dish my brother-in-law made for my in-laws' 30th wedding anniversary - 17 years ago.

Waldorf Chicken Wellington

In a small mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients:

1 apple, cored and finely diced (any variety, though I like Honeycrisp)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 stalk celery (leaves included), finely diced
1 green onion, diced
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning (I love Savory Spice Shop's blend.)
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

This picture is washed out, but the mixture is actually pretty colorful.

3 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten
2 chicken breasts, cut into six pieces
additional lemon-pepper seasoning

Preheat the oven to 400°. Working with one sheet of pastry at a time, roll it out slightly. Cut in half and brush with the egg wash. Season the chicken on both sides with lemon-pepper. Place one piece of chicken at a short end of each rectangle (leaving about an inch border); top with about 1/4 cup of the apple mixture. Fold the pastry over and tuck in the edges, using more egg wash to seal if needed. Repeat with the other sheets of pastry, moving the bundles to a greased baking sheets. Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and beginning to brown at the edges.