Chicken Cordon Bleu
his is the ultimate creation with ham and cheese! Made with chicken breasts wrapped around ham and Swiss, breaded, and fried crisp. Each slice will reveal a gorgeous swirl of flavor. While it’s a labor of love, each bite will be so worth the effort.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 4 slices ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- ½ cup all-purpose flour all-purpose
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs I used Panko
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp pepper or to taste
- vegetable oil for frying
Creamy dijon sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour all-purpose
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Flatten chicken breasts: Lay a chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Season each piece with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Roll: Lay a slice each of Swiss cheese and ham over one of the chicken breasts on a sheet of plastic wrap. You might need to use 2 pieces of each depending on how big your cheese and ham slices are. Roll the chicken width-wise and wrap it tightly in the plastic wrap by rolling, then tying the ends together. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and allow them to chill in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Dredge: Add the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs to 3 separate shallow bowls. Season the flour and eggs with salt and pepper. Unwrap the chicken breasts and dredge them first in the flour, then eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs.
- Fry: Fill a deep skillet about 2″ high with the vegetable oil. Heat to 325F. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 minutes, flip, then cook for another 5 minutes or until the center reaches an internal temperature of 165F.* Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes.
Sauce
- Start the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, whisk well, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Pour the milk slowly, while whisking, until fully incorporated and smooth. Add the dijon and parmesan cheese. Bring the sauce to a bubble, while continuously whisking, until it has thickened. Taste for salt and season as necessary. Serve the chicken with a scoop of sauce.
For More details see the full recipe here.
CREAMY MUSHROOM AND SPINACH PASTA
Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta is an easy, but elegant vegetarian pasta dish. Hearty mushrooms and whole wheat pasta make it a filling main dish without any meat!
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound whole wheat farfalle or pasta of choice, use gluten-free to make this recipe gluten-free
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms or creminis
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 3 cups baby spinach
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup white wine or low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the skillet is hot add in the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the spinach and sauté until it wilts, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the wine and cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta, half and half, parmesan cheese and parsley until everything is combined.
- Taste for seasoning and top with more parsley before serving.
For More details see the full recipe here.