The traditional recipe is ham and cheese, stuffed into a
chicken breast which has been dipped into flour, egg, bread crumbs, and then
pan fried. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! That’s
really yummy!
My mission, should I choose to accept it; is to lighten up
the traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu. Since the mission is imparted to me by that weird
voice in my head, it is very hard to decline.
I tell my dear friend
Laura about my mission and she pleads with me to take the assignment; although,
if she knew it came from the voice in my head, she might reconsider. Laura loves to cook, she is a great cook, and
she will know if the dish doesn’t measure up!
She and countless others are counting on me to lighten up the
traditionally heavy Chicken Cordon Bleu.
I will accept the
assignment, and do everything in my power to accomplish my mission!
Today is Laura’s Birthday!!!
Hooray!!! Happy Birthday my
friend! This is for you!
Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Here’s what you need, except for the butter. I used cooking spray instead of butter.
Mix the Panko bread crumbs and seasonings together in a
small bowl.
Cut the cheese and the ham so that it will easily fit into
the pocket. This is what goes inside each chicken breast.
Pound the chicken to an even thickness between 2 pieces of
plastic wrap.
Use a very sharp knife to cut a pocket along the length of
the chicken.
Make an assembly line to stuff and top each chicken breast.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. You don’t need to season inside the pocket.
Open the pocket, and spread about 1 teaspoon of mustard
inside.
I put the mustard I would need into a bowl, so that I would not be tempted to put my chicken contaminated knife back into the mustard jar.
Then lay 1 1/2 pieces of cheese on the bottom. I like an aged Gruyere, the stinkier the
better!
Lay the sliced ham that has been cut into quarters, into the
pocket.
Secure the pocket opening with toothpicks. These pictures don’t show the toothpicks
well. It’s just like pinning the hem of
your pants. (The first time I tried this I used colored toothpicks. The chicken had turned so pretty with all the
colors that had leached into it from the toothpicks!)
So far this is the same as the traditional recipe. This is where the calorie reduction of the
recipe comes in.
A traditional breading method does not bake very well. So here is the clever part.
Only bread the top of
the chicken, because breadcrumbs on the underside will just be mushy.
Mustard is the magical ingredient that will act as glue for the breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken, and impart magnificent flavor!
Spread another 1 ½ teaspoons of mustard evenly over the top of the chicken breast,
then sprinkle about 2 ½ tablespoons
of seasoned breadcrumbs over the mustard.
Gently pat the crumbs down into the mustard.
Spray the top with a little cooking spray. This will aid the breadcrumbs in achieving a golden color. If you have an oil mister, then mist with a little oil instead.
I really need to get an oil mister. Maybe the Mr. will buy me a mister!
Now bake on a sheet pan or a shallow baking dish for 30 to
40 minutes.*My chicken was really large so it cooked 40 minutes.
Let the Chicken Cordon Bleu rest for 10 minutes before
serving. This allows the cheese to set
slightly, so that it won’t just run out all over the plate when you cut into
the chicken.
The breading stays on the chicken and is crisp. The mustard and the seasonings give such a
great flavor that I don’t even miss the flavor, or the fat, that comes from the
pan frying. Here’s another bonus; the breading method used
in this recipe is way easier than the traditional method.
Mission accomplished, and then some!
Serves 4
4 Boneless,
skinless chicken breasts
8 oz Aged Swiss cheese, cut into about 12
slices. *If using Swiss cheese sandwich
slices, then use 8 slices, cut in half.
3 ½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 slices Sweet ham, thin slices, cut into quarters
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
Salt
and Pepper
9 to 12 Toothpicks,
not colored
1.
Pre heat
oven to 400 degrees.
2.
In a small bowl mix together the panko bread
crumbs, Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning, and about ¼ teaspoon each of
salt and pepper. Set aside.
3.
Place a chicken breast between 2 pieces of
plastic wrap. Pound the chicken to an
even thickness, about ¾ of an inch thick.
Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
4.
Using a very sharp knife cut a pocket along the length
of the chicken breast. Make the pocket
as large as you can without cutting all the way through the chicken breast.
5.
Season both sides of the chicken breast with
salt and pepper, there’s no need to season inside of the pocket.
6.
Start an assembly line to stuff and top each
chicken breast. The directions are for
one breast, but do it for all 4.
7.
Spread about 1 teaspoon of mustard inside of the
pocket you made in the chicken breast.
8.
Lay 1 1/2 slices of cheese in the pocket.
9.
Then 1 slice of ham that had been cut into
quarters (use all four quarters).
10.
Lay another 1 1/2 slices of cheese.
11.
Now use 3 or 4 toothpicks to close up the pocket
nice and tight, you don’t want that ham and cheese to escape.
12.
Spread about another 1 ½ teaspoons of mustard
over just the top chicken.
13.
Top with about 2 ½ tablespoons of the seasoned
panko bread crumbs. Gently press the
bread crumbs down into the mustard.
14.
Spray the bread crumbs on the top of the chicken
with cooking spray, or if you have an oil mister, than mist with oil. This will allow the bread crumbs to get a
golden color.
15.
Put in the 400 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
16.
Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving,
remember to pull the toothpicks out.
Check out this recipe at the Weekend Potluck!
Check out this recipe at the Weekend Potluck!
Oh you Smarty Pants! This sounds like a fantastic way to lighten this tasty favorite! Congrats on reaching your mission! =) I'm impressed.
ReplyDeleteHi Kari....this sounds and looks wonderful. I have yet to try making this, so I am inspired. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI made this dish last night and twenty minutes into cooking, the house smelled fantastic. It may be low-fat, but it was flavorful. I really liked the tip of breading only one side (saves carbs) and spraying non-stick spray on top of the breadcrumbs, instead of butter. It browned the breadcrumbs beautifully. Depending on the size of chicken breasts you use, you may not need the full 40 minutes of cooking time. My daughter, who doesn't like mustard, enjoyed it without even noticing the dijon, it added just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the dish. I will definately be trying more of your recipes. It was fun and rewarding. Mission accomplished! Laura
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