Chicken Cordon Bleu

While Jeff was gone I had a craving for Chicken Cordon Bleu! But Jeff likes chicken, breading, and ham! So I really wanted to wait for him, and I did. When he first came back I made a bunch of stuff (the cinnamon bun muffins of last post, and next post of a lemon blackberryish tart).

So yeah, I made Chicken Cordon Bleu! My mom used to buy these at the ready prep area in the grocery store. This and chicken kiev. They weren't the best, but I liked them growing up, and I figured that it didnt seem like it was that hard to make at home, so why not try?

They weren't so hard to make at home, though my chicken was a little dry. Jeff's a lot better at thawing them right and cooking them to when they're still juicy, and I usually do the seasoning. I'm not sure if I made the chicken dry or if it's just the chicken I bought (from Trader Joes, in a big bag in the freezer section). I liked the fresh lemon that I squeezed on it at the end, with a grind of fresh sea salt and pepper. Everything tasted nice and fresh and-- mmm, it makes me happy thinking about it. It made Jeff happy to eat it.

I served mashed potatoes, pureed simply with butter and cream, as well as green beans-- sauteed in olive oil (steamed a little too), and then seasoned with just salt and a lot of cracked pepper. This also took a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Chicken Cordon Bleu, I discovered, isn't a dish from France (harhar, really??). It was made in America, based on French dishes... and that's not really surprising. But it basically means blue ribbon chicken, which I could see... it's a simple dish, but definitely inspiring. I could see it winning some blue ribbons!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 thick cut slices of ham
3 thick cut slices of swiss cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1 egg

2 fresh sprigs of thyme

Oven at 375 Degrees Fahrenheit

Rub the chicken breasts with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Flatten out with a meat hammer, until about 1/4" thick. Top each breast with half a slice of swiss cheese, one slice of ham, then split the rest of the swiss cheese among the two. Roll the breasts up and secure with toothpicks.
Prepare your breading station. Beat the egg with a little water in a shallow, wide bowl. Mix the flour with the poultry seasoning and salt. Mix the panko with a small splash of olive oil. Place the panko and flour each on separate plates.
Dip the chicken breasts in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs, making sure to coat. Place on a sprayed or lined baking sheet and place a spring of thyme over each breast.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until juices run clear or the temperature has reached 165 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve with a little squeeze of lemon juice.