There are a few steps in making Cordon Blue but the finished entrée is worth the detail. Grab a nice bottle of wine and prepare it up with your spouse or a good friend. Catch up on conversation and enjoy some time together. Cooking is a great way to spend time together; it takes the stress off of preparation and gives quality time together. I cook a lot with my youngest these days, he’s shown a flair for culinary arts and I am happy to oblige and assist in his learning (the oldest cooks pretty darn good too!) So as far as the wine goes, the youngest shares in a small amount of wine too, it just adds to the fun of cooking and the grownupness of a chef in training. Needless to say, a quarter of a glass for each of us is more than enough! It’s about bonding.

What you will need for 4 Chicken Cordon Blues:

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
4 slices of a nice lean ham or Italian ham
4 slices of a good Swiss cheese

Toothpicks or skewers
Flour for dredging
5-6 eggs lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of milk or cream
Breadcrumbs
Butter for frying

If you don’t have a kitchen mallet for pounding meat you can use a rolling pin. Working with poultry, you will want to work on a surface that can be easily cleaned. Do not use a wooden cutting board unless you can properly soak it and sanitize it with bleach and later with citrus. A good alternative is disposable mats that you can purchase at your grocers or simply using saran wrap. Lay a sheet under the chicken and on top of, roll or pound to approx. 1/8 inch thick. Layer each breast with 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of Swiss.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of lightly salted butter in a skillet over medium high heat and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Roll up the long way and secure with toothpicks or skewers. To keep your hands cleaner for dipping and dredging, use a pair of tongs. Dip each roll in your egg wash and then in flour. Dip again in egg wash and then in bread crumbs. Use a spoon to cover chicken thoroughly with flour and bread crumbs.

Place each roll in heated butter to lightly brown, turning as needed. When chicken is browned, place in a sprayed or lightly buttered pan and place in oven. Cook for approximately 45 -55 minutes or until juices of chicken run clear.

Remove toothpicks or skewers before serving. These are tender and juicy with the melted cheese inside and can stand on their own. If you’d like you can serve with a Béchamel sauce (which is a basic white sauce of milk, butter and flour) adding grated Swiss.

Bon Appetite and as always, have a wonderful and blessed week.
Sue