Chicken Cordon Bleu ("Blue Ribbon" Chicken)
An old style 'fancy' dish which is actually very simple to assemble ahead of time and then finish off by crumbing and baking.
I've seen it napped with a white sauce or gravy but the honey mustard sauce that the blogger at "Lemon and Mocha" used is a perfect accompaniment to cut through the bland richness of the chicken and cheese. The chicken roll is baked rather than fried making it more diet-friendly.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Cordon Bleu - serves 2
2 chicken cutlets, pounded to about 1/16 of an inch
2 slices of deli Black Forest ham
2 slices of provolone cheese (Swiss, Edam or even Havarti would work too)
salt and pepper
Crumb coating ingredients:
In 3 separate shallow pans (pie pans work), assemble the following.
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, whisked together with 1 tsp cold water
1/2 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs (or toasted Panko bread crumbs)
Pound the chicken cutlets carefully between two sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper, to minimized the mess. Be careful not to make holes in the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 375 deg Fahrenheit.
Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper. Place one cutlet at a time on your work surface and cover with one slice of the ham and then a slice of the cheese. Roll up (narrow or wide end of the cutlet, it doesn't really matter) the chicken and use a toothpick to 'pin' the roll up. NOTE: You can cover and refrigerate the rolls at this point if making ahead.
Dip one roll at a time into the flour, coating it evenly. Shake off the excess. Dip the floured roll into the beaten egg, allowing the excess to drip off. Dip the roll into the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess. Place on your baking sheet. (I just placed one of the sheets of parchment paper I had used to pound out the chicken on a pie plate and then threw the paper away after baking.)
Bake for 30 minutes or until the breast is firm but still has a bit of bounce to it when pressed down with a finger. If the top isn't as golden brown as you'd like, turn on the broiler to high and bake for 2-2 1/2 minutes until the crumb coating is as dark as you'd like. There may be some darker areas, but as long as it's not burned, it's fine.
Honey-Mustard Sauce
Honey Mustard Sauce - makes a couple of tablespoons, enough to dress 2 chicken rolls
1 tbsp mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon or French's mustard
Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Spoon over the hot chicken roll.
NOTE: This would be great as a dip for chicken tenders/fingers or as a salad dressing over fresh greens.
I've seen it napped with a white sauce or gravy but the honey mustard sauce that the blogger at "Lemon and Mocha" used is a perfect accompaniment to cut through the bland richness of the chicken and cheese. The chicken roll is baked rather than fried making it more diet-friendly.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Cordon Bleu - serves 2
2 chicken cutlets, pounded to about 1/16 of an inch
2 slices of deli Black Forest ham
2 slices of provolone cheese (Swiss, Edam or even Havarti would work too)
salt and pepper
Crumb coating ingredients:
In 3 separate shallow pans (pie pans work), assemble the following.
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, whisked together with 1 tsp cold water
1/2 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs (or toasted Panko bread crumbs)
Pound the chicken cutlets carefully between two sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper, to minimized the mess. Be careful not to make holes in the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 375 deg Fahrenheit.
Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper. Place one cutlet at a time on your work surface and cover with one slice of the ham and then a slice of the cheese. Roll up (narrow or wide end of the cutlet, it doesn't really matter) the chicken and use a toothpick to 'pin' the roll up. NOTE: You can cover and refrigerate the rolls at this point if making ahead.
Dip one roll at a time into the flour, coating it evenly. Shake off the excess. Dip the floured roll into the beaten egg, allowing the excess to drip off. Dip the roll into the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess. Place on your baking sheet. (I just placed one of the sheets of parchment paper I had used to pound out the chicken on a pie plate and then threw the paper away after baking.)
Bake for 30 minutes or until the breast is firm but still has a bit of bounce to it when pressed down with a finger. If the top isn't as golden brown as you'd like, turn on the broiler to high and bake for 2-2 1/2 minutes until the crumb coating is as dark as you'd like. There may be some darker areas, but as long as it's not burned, it's fine.
Honey-Mustard Sauce
Honey Mustard Sauce - makes a couple of tablespoons, enough to dress 2 chicken rolls
1 tbsp mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon or French's mustard
Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Spoon over the hot chicken roll.
NOTE: This would be great as a dip for chicken tenders/fingers or as a salad dressing over fresh greens.