Chicken Croissant Sandwiches

Mother's Day. And this year I want to write about Denise. Not Kayla, not Patricia, not Earl Jr. — Denise. My youngest. The baby. The one who lives ten minutes away and has checked on me every day since Earl died. The one who planted the garden when I couldn't. The one who sent my book to a publisher without permission. The one who stands six feet away in driveways during pandemics and holds signs that say "I love you." The one who is, in every measurable way, the reason I am still here.

Denise doesn't get enough credit. She's the organizer, the planner, the one who makes the spreadsheets and calls the caterers and argues with the florist. She's not the cook — that's me. She's not the nurse — that's Kayla. She's not the teacher — that's Monique. She's the infrastructure. She's the foundation. She's the one who makes sure the building stands while the rest of us decorate the rooms.

I wrote her a card this year. Not on Mother's Day — the week before, because I wanted her to have it before the chaos of the family gathering. I wrote: "Denise Marie Givens. You are the strongest person I know, and I know a lot of strong people. You have held this family together with spreadsheets and stubbornness and the kind of love that doesn't need to be loud to be heard. Your father would be so proud. I am so proud. Thank you for being my youngest and my closest and my most. Love, Mama."

She called me after she read it. She was crying. She said, "Mama, you made me cry at work." I said, "Good. Some things need to be felt at work." She said, "I love you." I said, "I know, baby. You show me every day."

Made Denise's favorite: chicken and dumplings. Her comfort food since she was five. I made a pot and brought it to her house, because for once, the cook delivers to the organizer. The organizer deserves to be fed.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Chicken and dumplings is Denise’s forever comfort food — the pot I made and carried to her door is a story all its own — but the recipe I keep coming back to when I need to feed her on a Tuesday, when she’s between meetings and too busy to heat anything, is these chicken croissant sandwiches. All the warmth of a chicken dinner, wrapped up and ready to go. Something the organizer can eat at her desk with one hand while she’s arguing with a florist with the other. That’s love, too.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup celery, finely diced
3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 large bakery-style croissants, split horizontally
4 leaves green leaf or romaine lettuce
8 thin slices ripe tomato

Instructions

Mix the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, and lemon juice. Stir until evenly coated. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Rest the filling. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the chicken mixture for at least 10 minutes before assembling. This allows the flavors to come together. You can make this up to 24 hours ahead.
Prep the croissants. Split each croissant in half horizontally. If you like a little warmth, place the cut sides face-down in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1—2 minutes until lightly toasted. This is optional but adds a nice texture.
Assemble. Lay a leaf of lettuce on the bottom half of each croissant. Spoon a generous portion of chicken filling over the lettuce. Top with 2 slices of tomato. Set the top half of the croissant in place.
Wrap for delivery. To deliver — because sometimes the cook goes to the organizer — wrap each sandwich tightly in parchment paper and tuck into a bag. They hold well for up to 2 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken Croissant Sandwiches — For the One Who Makes Sure the Building Stands