Chicken Cordon Bleu

We eat a lot of chicken in our house so I’m always on the hunt for new and interesting ways to serve it that are appealing to everyone in the family. This Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those meals that pleases even my pickiest eater.

I didn’t grow up having Chicken Cordon Bleu. I was grown and had kids of my own before I had a chance to try it out. My husband ordered a fried Chicken Cordon Bleu from a restaurant and of course being the good taste tester that I am I had to try a bite.

I was hooked on the delicious flavor and sad that I didn’t order the exact same thing that he did. I usually have buyers remorse at restaurants when I taste his food even if my dish is warm and delicious and he usually loses part of his meal to me.

My version of the Chicken Cordon Bleu isn’t deep fried since we don’t fry many of our meals. Instead, I bread the chicken after it’s rolled up and bake it on a sheet pan in the oven. If you prefer to fry your chicken in a skillet of oil, I recommend securing the seam with toothpicks. I lay the chicken seam side down on the baking pan and never need toothpicks when it’s baked.

I learned years ago that I don’t have to prepare a huge chicken breast for each member of the family. It not only cuts calories, but it saves money. I split a chicken breast in half horizontally and pound it out thin for this meal. By serving Chicken Cordon Bleu with a starch like mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables like steamed broccoli, my family doesn’t need a huge piece of chicken to fill up.

I hope that you’ll try this recipe today and leave a comment below. Also, for daily updates follow @lifeabovethecafe on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest using the social media icons found on this page.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts split in half horizontally
• 8 pieces of thin deli slice ham
• 1 cup of shredded cheese or 4 – 6 pieces of sliced cheese (I use provolone, swiss, or an Italian blend)
• 1 large egg
• splash of milk
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 heaping Tbsp. of Parmesan Cheese
• Morton’s Seasoning Salt (or salt, pepper, garlic powder)
• paprika
• dried parsley flakes
• cooking spray

Optional Sauce:

• 1 & 1/2 cups of half and half
• 1/2 of a heaping Tbsp. of cornstarch or flour
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of pepper
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1 tsp. of dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard (optional it has a strong flavor so add it slowly)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with a layer of cooking spray.  I like to lay out the cheese slices or shredded cheese and ham slices on a plate so that I don’t cross contaminate once I start handling the raw chicken.

Set up a dredging station.  In a shallow dish, mix the large egg with a splash of milk.  Sprinkle the flour on a plate.  In another shallow dish or plate mix the Panko breadcrumbs up with the Parmesan Cheese.

Cut the 2 chicken breasts in half horizontally so that you have 4 thin chicken breast pieces.  Place the chicken breast one at a time, in between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a large ziploc bag and then pound each piece of chicken out evenly to about 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle seasoning salt or a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder over the surface of the chicken.

Place 2 slices of ham and the cheese on top of each of the pieces of chicken so that the surface is covered.  If I’m using sliced cheese I sometimes need to split a piece in half to completely cover the chicken breast so each piece will have 1 and 1/2 slices of cheese.  If you are using shredded cheese sprinkle it relatively thick over the surface of the chicken/ham.

Roll up the chicken breasts fairly tightly and then roll each into the flour to cover the entire surface, then roll each in the egg mixture, and finally in the Panko breadcrumbs.  Place the chicken seam side down on the baking sheet.  Wash your hands well.  Spray each of the chicken breasts with a light layer of cooking spray and then lightly sprinkle paprika and dried parsley flakes over the surface.

Bake the chicken in the oven for 35 – 45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees F (the thickness of the chicken roll ups will determine how long they need to cook).  Allow the chicken to rest for 4 to 5 minutes before cutting into it.

Note – the paprika and cooking spray helps to add color to the breadcrumbs, but you can also broil the final product for a few minutes, but watch it carefully so that the breadcrumbs don’t burn.

Serve with the optional sauce listed above (I often don’t make a sauce).  Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour them into a nonstick skillet and whisk constantly over medium high heat until thickened.  If the sauce thickens up too much add a splash of milk or heavy cream while stirring.

Remember to sanitize your work surface well to avoid cross contamination from the raw chicken.

 

Additional Photos: