Chicken Cordon Bleu – Barb’s Way

I meant to get this posted this morning, but we had a snow event here, photos will follow, and then a power line went down from the weight of the snow. We had no power for about 9 hours. No power, no internet! Looking outside right now it’s just starting to snow again! Big, huge flakes!

Did you know that Chicken Cordon Bleu draws upon the techniques of Chicken Kiev and Schnitzel? And that Cordon Bleu means “blue ribbon?” This dish is relatively new in cooking history emerging in the 1960’s. And the dish has nothing to do with the school either! There are many variations to this dish. In a way this dish is a rouladen, but made with chicken instead of beef. The chicken is rolled up with cheese and ham, or prosciutto. Different cheeses can be used, and you can bread them and fry them or not bread them and bake them! You can use the boneless breast meat or you can use boneless chicken thighs. My recipe will be done in the oven and uses boneless chicken thighs.

Ingredients
6 boneless chicken thighs
6 slices of muenster cheese
6 slices of prosciutto
Bearnaise sauce

Take the chicken thighs one at a time and place inside a zip lock bag. Using your kitchen mallet and pound the meat to enlarge it and make it thin. Then lay on a piece of cheese and a slice of prosciutto.

Chicken on the bottom, then cheese then prosciutto

Roll up the thigh and tie with kitchen string to secure.

Lovely little packages

Lay the bundles in a greased glass baking dish. Cover with the Bearnaise sauce.

The chicken is ready for the oven

I will be using packaged sauce from Knorr’s. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about one hour, turning halfway through and spoon the sauce from the pan over the bundles. When this has cooked for the hour, remove from the oven, cut the strings from the bundles.  Serve two per person, and spoon the sauce over the chicken and the rice!

Dinner is served!

Serve this up with jasmine rice and a steamed fresh vegetable.