Italian Crespelle, Chicken Filled Crepes Au Gratin

Crespelle are thin Crepes/Pancakes filled with anything you fancy, then mostly rolled up and baked in a tomato or cheese sauce. It is a typical comfort-food, heavy, yummy and typical Italian!

Actually, crepes used to be the poor mans dinner, but nowadays it's a specialty everyone loves. The Crespelle can also be called Manicotti, they are being served in many restaurants in Italy.

Step 1:

Crespelle dough:
200 g Flour
3 Eggs
250 ml Milk (you can also use a Milk-Water mix)
1 pinch of Salt

Mix these ingredients together with a whisk to a not to soft mixture.

Heat very little oil in a flat pan and add a soup-ladle full of the mixture. Now spread this mix softly with the ladle until it covers the whole pan and is very thin. Turn over after 2 minutes and fry for 2 more minutes.

You can prepare these crepes a day ahead.

Step 2:

The filling:
300 g Chicken breasts
150 g Bacon bits
1 Onion
3 cloves of Garlic
100 g fresh Spinach
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Rosemary
100 ml Whipping Cream
100 ml Sour Cream
Some Oil

Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes, chop the onion and garlic cloves and fry them in a little oil. Season well!

Step 3:

Let them cook in their own juices, than add the spinach and the whipping cream. Let cook for another few minutes than add the sour cream.

(If the filling is very thin, add 1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tbsp cold water)

Step 4:

Grease a large oven proof dish, fill the crepes with the filling, roll them up and put them into the dish.

Step 5:

1 Glass Tomato Sauce from Barilla
some whipping Cream
some grated Cheese

pour over the Crespelle and bake in the oven at 180 C for 40 minutes.

Buon Appetito!