Monday, September 9, 2013

Chicken Cordon Bleu

So... I won't lie, chicken cordon bleu is not nearly as challenging as I hoped it would be. I was feeling a little fancy and my husband always likes when I take dinner to the next level and stuff the chicken with something so, cordon bleu just made sense. I've made a few things similar before, but never actually cordon bleu and never actually followed somebody's recipe. So I was all excited and started prep at like, 3:30, thinking I MIGHT be done by 6.. little did I know it was only gonna take me about 20 minutes to do it ALL before it was in the oven! SO, for those of you desiring some tricky, afternoon dinner project, don't make this. But, for those of you who can't deny a good stuffed chicken breast that makes you look much fancier than you actually are and you only have 45 minutes before people are showing up, make this.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

You'll Need: (adapted from Tyler Florence)
  • 2 chicken breasts, thawed and pounded thin (place chicken breasts on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap or foil over the top, then pound with a meat pounder or the bottom of a small pan until they are thin enough to roll up on themselves, being careful not to let them split too much)
  • 2 thin pieces salty ham or prosciutto, I literally had regular ham and just salted it and let it rest a few minutes
  • 4 ounces soft baby swiss cheese
  • a sprinkle of grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, I made my own by putting sliced Tuscan Round into my nut chopper and mixing it with a heaping pinch of herbs de provence and salt and pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • extra-virgin olive oil

To assemble, first start by spreading the baby swiss directly onto the ham slices, as it's easier to spread while the ham is on a cutting board, not the chicken.
Now lay the pieces of ham over the chicken breasts and sprinkle with the parmesan-reggiano.
Carefully, roll the chicken breast up on itself until it's in a tight little bundle and can rest on its own without unrolling.
Now generously sprinkle the breasts with your flour mixture, carefully dunk them into the egg wash and coat them in the bread crumbs. I find it easier to coat them fully if you spread the breadcrumbs out on a plate instead of in a bowl.
Now place them side by side on a baking sheet drizzled lightly with your olive oil, place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Voila! I will tell you this.... I baked mine for 20 minutes and they were perfect, but you know me and chicken... I'm a real nervous chicken baker. So I stuck it back in for literally 3 more minutes and I slightly dried it out. So trust your oven and don't let it get dried out!
While the chicken is baking, make your sides! We chose to have a kale & hummus salad and some garlic green beans.
Remove from the oven and slice into beautiful little rounds. Arrange on the plate and serve with something a little sweet, like a cranberry salad or minted melon.
And there you have, the easiest, prettiest, made from scratch Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Aren't you fancy?? ;)
shh... our secret.

XOX

1 comment:

  1. I just wanted to let you know that Food Network will be holding an Open Casting Call this Saturday October 5th at the Hilton in Downtown Atlanta from 10am- 4pm. We would LOVE for you to come by and meet us! If you can't make it we'd greatly appreciate your help spreading the word! We are really excited to have some amateur home cooks from across the nation get the chance to work with some of Food Network's Top Celebrity Chefs AND win a huge cash prize!!

    Please let me know if you have any questions! Thank you!

    - Chelsea


    EXCITING FOODIE NEWS!!
    Blog about it, Tweet it, Post on Facebook, Instagram the flyer, Call your friends...
    Because Food Network will be hosting an Open Call in Downtown Atlanta THIS WEEKEND!!

    Hello!
    My name is Chelsea Jenkins and I am a Casting Associate in Los Angeles, CA. I'm working on a new show for the Food Network and I am beyond excited to announce that our casting team will be traveling to Atlanta this weekend in search for the best home cook in America!

    Amateur Home Cooks from across the nation will have the chance to work with some of Food Network's Top Celebrity Chefs AND win a HUGE CASH PRIZE! Our goal is to find some great home cooks that have NO professional training or experience to represent Atlanta at it's best!

    We would love your help spreading the word as far and wide as quickly as possible! We booked our plane tickets and will be flying to Atlanta THIS weekend! Below is the open call information.

    Open Call Information:
    When: Saturday October 5, 2013 (10am- 4pm)

    Where: Downtown Atlanta Hilton
    255 Cortland St NE
    Atlanta, GA 30303

    What to Bring: Applicants will be asked to bring a prepared dish that highlights their cooking abilities and a completed application. For more information about what to bring and to download the application please visit: rrcastinghomecooks.weebly.com

    If you cannot make the open call but would still like to apply we will be accepting Home Tapes until October 11th! Check our website for home tape guidelines and send them to chelsea.jenkins@rrstaff.com

    Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or for more information! You can reach me directly at (323) 860-8974 or via email at chelsea.jenkins@rrstaff.com.

    Thanks so much for helping us spread the word about this awesome opportunity!

    Chelsea Jenkins
    Casting Associate
    (323) 860-8974

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