Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a variation of the classic entrée Chicken Cordon Bleu. I have been making this at my work for so long I could do it with my eyes closed; but it can be easily messed up so be prepared. It's surprisingly pretty cheap and easy if you keep a well stocked fridge. Most of the ingredients can already be found in a typical fridge. The only complicated part of this recipe is that you need a meat tenderizer, basically a mallet for food. If you are careful and you do it right, this is one recipe that can take your cooking level from rookie to all-pro.


Ingredients:
1.5-2lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
2 tbsp. Italian Seasoning (Garlic, Salt, Basil, Rosemary...)
6 slices Swiss cheese
3 slices deli lunch meat (traditional uses ham)
2-3 cups bread crumbs
2 cups parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Savings: 10-25$ (More savings if you already have most of the ingredients on hand)

 Spread out the chicken breast and wrap saran wrap over top of them. Use a tenderizer and mash the chicken until they are flattened out really thin but be very careful not to destroy the chicken. It needs to stay into one solid piece to be able to roll. Pre-heat oven at 350-375 F. This is another recipe I use with frozen chicken that I stock up on when it is on sale.

Season the chicken with the Italian seasoning, salt and garlic. Some premixed Italian seasonings will have everything in it but if not... Use salt, garlic, rosemary, basil and pepper. 

 

 

Add the cheese and the sliced ham. To save time and money you can simply replace the Swiss cheese and ham slices with whatever you use for your sandwiches. I used Boars Head oven roasted turkey for this picture. There are many different variations of this stuffed chicken recipe; you can do cheddar cheese, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella, onions, peppers, sausage, spinach, broccoli or whatever you have in the fridge that you think pairs well with baked chicken. Be sure not to pack too much ingredients in the chicken because it will not roll properly and it will break open. If the chicken breaks try to cover the cheese as much as possible because it will melt out and ruin the recipe.



 Once your chicken is stuffed, start from the bottom of the chicken breast when they are laying out vertically and roll the chicken like a sleeping bag. Rest the opened section of the chicken down and the smooth side up. The tighter the roll, the better the recipe will come out. Gently cover the outside of the chicken with the bread crumbs. Next, drizzle the oil over top of the chicken and sprinkle the parmesan on top. I added basil leaves on top for a nice looking finish. Some people like to wrap a couple slices of bacon around it instead.

Bake in oven at 350-375 F for 35-45 minutes. Cut a small slit into the chicken to ensure it is cooked all the way through. You could use a thermometer as well. Breadcrumbs should be golden and cheese should not melt out of chicken.