CADET Recipe: Mess Hall Chicken Crispitos
In this iteration of CADET’s recipes, we bring you the myth, the legend, the infamous and known-to-incite-riots Chicken Crispito. The exact year of inception of this mess hall superstar remains a mystery (although we look forward to hearing any details you all might recall in the comments below), but by 2006 the Crispito was firmly sitting atop the throne of coveted mess hall meals.
The seemingly modest Crispito, with its unassuming blend of chicken pot pie-like filling and crispy exterior, had become revered by the Corps of Cadets in a way one couldn’t have predicted. Plebes frantically scanned meal menus weeks in advance so that they could report to upperclassmen the next time the revered Crispito would make an appearance. On Crispito days Washington Hall came to life in an unimaginable way, the Corps abuzz with debate over what best to dip the mighty Crispito into, and how many Crispitos was the ideal amount to consume.
But one fateful day in 2006 during my Plebe year, the Corps arrived at the Mess Hall salivating, as one did on Chicken Crispito day. But no Crispitos arrived to the table that day, for there had been an error in the menu printing falsely proclaiming the appearance of the Corps’ most lusted after dish. Absolute chaos ensued. That evening, the wildest riot of my four years at the Academy took form, with cadets lighting their printers on fire and throwing them out of the window, streaking in protest, shrieking from their window sills, bursting into rooms and flailing their arms in mosh pit fashion, and expressing their grief and anger in “creative” ways that only cadets could understand. The Great Chicken Crispito Riot of 2006 was one for the books.
CHICKEN CRISPITOS RECIPE
Time Needed: 40 min | Yield: 12 Crispitos
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups, shredded chicken breast
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup each, peas, carrots, corn (can use a frozen mixed bag or canned)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
Egg roll wrappers
Canola or vegetable oil
S&P
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Add heavy cream and chicken stock and continue to whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add pinch of S&P.
In a separate frying pan, sauté onions until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add peas, carrots and corn and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken. Add S&P to taste.
Pour cream/stock mixture over chicken and veggies and stir well to combine, will be the consistency of the filling of a chicken pot pie.
Using a spoon, arrange a “log” of the chicken/veggie mix on a wonton wrapper. Roll the mixture up tightly. Arrange the roll ups in an lightly oiled baking dish with the wrapper edge side down. Brush the roll ups with oil and bake in the oven until golden brown and crispy, about 25 minutes.
Serve hot with the mess dipping sauce of your choice (mine was A1 steak sauce) and go wild. Try not to riot.
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