Go Back

Croatian Chicken Strukli

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Croatian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package about 1 pound of phyllo dough, make sure it's not frozen
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped into small pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped finely
  • 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and pulled apart
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 large eggs mixed lightly

Instructions
 

  • First, turn your oven on to 375°F (190°C). Put a little oil in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  • Heat olive oil in a big pan on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it's soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until it smells good. Don't burn the garlic!
  • Add the chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme to the pan. Mix it all up and cook for a few minutes, so the flavors mix. Then, put this tasty mix aside.
  • In a different, medium pot, mix together your flour and about a 1/2 cup of your chicken broth. keep mixing until smooth.
  • Add the rest of the broth to the pot and cook on medium heat, mixing all the time, until it gets thick. This makes the base of your creamy sauce.
  • Take it off the heat and add the sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan, and eggs. Mix until it's smooth. This is your creamy, cheesy sauce!
  • Carefully open the phyllo dough. Put one sheet in the baking dish. Brush it lightly with a little melted butter or oil (you can skip brushing every layer and just do every other one – it will still taste great!). Do this with two more sheets, putting them on top of each other.
  • Spread about 1/3 of the chicken mix evenly over the phyllo.
  • Add another three layers of phyllo, brushing each with butter or oil.
  • Do steps 8 and 9 two more times. You'll have layers of chicken and phyllo. You should finish with phyllo on top.
  • Pour the creamy cheese sauce evenly over the top layer.
  • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Watch it so the phyllo doesn't burn. If it gets too brown, cover it loosely with foil.
  • Let the Strukli cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This helps the filling set.