Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an essential first step to ensure your dough bakes evenly and becomes golden brown.
Cook the Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Portions separately if they’re not pre-cooked. I recommend seasoning it lightly with salt and pepper while cooking to enhance the flavor. Once cooked, chop them into bite-sized cubes.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients: the cooked chicken, celery, almonds, salt, grated onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, and chow mein noodles. Mix everything until it’s well incorporated; the mixture should be creamy but not overly wet.
Unroll your crescent sheet onto a greased baking sheet or a silpat liner. If you can’t find the seamless kind, that’s okay! Just press the seams together if you’re using a tube of crescent rolls.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough, leaving about three inches uncut in the center. Make cuts down the sides of the dough about an inch apart. This is what creates the beautiful braid effect!
Spread the chicken salad mixture down the middle of the crescent dough where it is uncut. Be generous with your filling; you want every bite to be delicious.
Now it’s time to braid! Take the first strip of cut dough on one side and fold it over the filling to the center. Then, do the same with the corresponding strip from the opposite side. Continue this process until all strips are folded over the filling, creating a lovely braid effect.
Pinch the seams at the end to seal the braid and make sure everything stays together. It should look pretty and secure!
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the dough is fully cooked. Your kitchen will smell amazing!
Once baked, remove from the oven and let the braid sit for about 10 minutes before cutting. This waiting time helps the filling set a little more.
