Years ago, we had the typical busy life. Eric & I both worked full time and both kids went to school and participated in various sports & other activities. There was something going on most nights of the week after school and work and on the weekends. Life was very busy. And Eric traveled anywhere from 2-5 nights a week. We didn’t have much time for cooking family dinners back then. Pre-made frozen foods were common in those days. A favorite was chicken cordon bleu.
As the kids got older and went off to college, mealtime became simpler. While Eric still traveled frequently, we no longer had kid’s activities to work around in the evening. We went back to cooking as we did in the pre-kids-in-activities-days when we did most foods from scratch. And the chicken cordon bleu definitely tastes better!
Chicken Cordon Bleu (adapted from Tyler Florence via foodnetwork.com)
45 min Prep 20 min Cook 25 min Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
- 1/2 pound Brie, cut into thick slices
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + extra to coat the baking sheet
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Lay each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.
Pound out the chicken pieces to make it roll easier and cook faster.
Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 1 slice of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and layer a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto.
Layer the ham & brie on the flattened chicken.
Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll it up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal it and twist both ends tightly to form a nice log. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Roll up the chicken from a short side.
Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic, kosher salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. The olive oil will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season them with salt & pepper.
Season the flour, the egg and the bread crumbs.
Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the chicken rolls onto it. Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through. Serve whole pieces or cut each piece into medallions and serve with a green vegetable.
Garnish with a little parsley and serve!
It’s not as hard as it looks and really worth it! ~Linda
Chicken Cordon Bleu (adapted from Tyler Florence via foodnetwork.com)
45 min Prep 20 min Cook 25 min Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
- 1/2 pound Brie, cut into thick slices
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + extra to coat the baking sheet
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Lay each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.
Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 1 slice of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and layer a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto.
Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll it up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal it and twist both ends tightly to form a nice log. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic, kosher salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. The olive oil will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season them with salt & pepper.
Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the chicken rolls onto it. Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through. Serve whole pieces or cut each piece into medallions and serve with a green vegetable.