Chicken Cordon Bleu
An easier, non-breaded, non-fried, made-in-the-oven version of the original Swiss recipe.
My Number One Fan never ceases to amaze me, for many reasons, but noteworthy here for her ability to find great recipes on the Internet, adapt them to make them her own, and create something really outstanding. It will invariably be selected for its ease in preparation and its requirement for a minimum use of pots and pans. Case in point is this recipe originally called "Easy Baked Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken," from the realhouse-mom website.
Not Le Cordon Bleu Paris
I realize that I'm taking some poetic license by calling this Chicken Cordon Bleu.The widely held notion of anything called Cordon Bleu in today's culinary parlance will mean it is stuffed with ham and Emmentaler cheese, breaded, and then pan fried. It is also a popular misconception that the recipe originated from Le Cordon Bleu, the international school of French cooking that originated in Paris. It did not. The recipe originally came from Switzerland. "Cordon Bleu" is merely French for "Blue Ribbon."
This is a facsimile of the original version. But the truth is that the original recipe has been widely bastardized, and in fact, even the first recipe printed in a cookbook sometime post WWII, and then widely distributed in newspapers throughout the country in the '60s, was a bastardized version of what was originally called Schnitzel Cordon Bleu. That dish was more likely pork or veal, pounded thinly, stuffed with Black Forest ham and Emmentaler cheese, and then rolled up in what the French would call a paupiette, before being breaded and fried.
In this recipe, the chicken is neither breaded nor fried. But it is rich, particularly with the delicious mustard cream sauce that must be served along side the chicken for this dish to be truly enjoyed.
Of note here is the kind of ham you should use for this dish. Original Cordon Bleu recipes call for Black Forest ham, but I recommend a freshly sliced deli-style ham rather than sandwich ham. It has better flavor and isn’t so packed with nitrates and other unpronounceable ingredients.
The recipe we've modified called for the chicken, once stuffed, to be held together by toothpicks. Not really liking the idea of wooden skewers through our food, we had metal trussing needles on hand and used those instead. Use whatever you like, but don't underestimate the need to do something to hold your bundle together. If you don’t, the chicken will shrink naturally while cooking and the cheese will melt out of the bundle.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 9 slices deli ham
- 6 slices Emmentaler or Swiss Cheese
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard (like, Grey Poupon)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 9-12 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (like, Grey Poupon)
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard (like, Grey Poupon Whole Grain)
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (like, Kraft)
- pinch fine sea salt
- 5-6 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- Take your ham slices and and stack them in groups of three.
- Take your cheese slices and stack them in groups of three, then cut each stack into thirds.
- Roll the cheese sticks into the ham slices so that you have three rolled bundles.
- Carefully cut a pocket into each chicken breast by slicing width-wise into the large side of the chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- For each chicken breast, smear 1/3 of the Dijon mustard over the inside of the pocket, then stuff each pocket with one of the ham and cheese bundle. Secure the breast with metal skewers
- Treat a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then lay out the chicken breasts onto the dish, allowing a bit a space between each breast.
- Drizzle each side with olive oil, then sprinkle each side with the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a microwavable bowl. Zap for 30 seconds, stir, then zap for another 30 seconds, or until the sauce is smooth and warmed through.
- Serve each chicken breast with the sauce spooned over.
