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Avatar photoDavis Janet

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This recipe delivers a gourmet experience by rolling tender chicken breasts with ham and Swiss cheese, coating them in a golden panko crust, and serving them with a rich, tangy Dijon cream sauce. It’s a wonderful, classic dish that tastes far more complicated than it is!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Entrée, Main Dish
Cuisine: European, French
Calories: 455
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pieces Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Pounded to $1/2text{ inch}$ thickness) (For the Chicken)
  • 1 tsp Salt (For the Chicken)
  • 1 tsp Black pepper (For the Chicken)
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder (For the Chicken)
  • 1 tsp Onion powder (For the Chicken)
  • 8 slices Swiss cheese (For the Filling)
  • 8 slices Thinly sliced ham (For the Filling)
  • 1 cup All-purpose flour (For the Coating)
  • 2 large Large Eggs, beaten (For the Coating)
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (For maximum crunch) (For the Coating)
  • 2 tbsp Butter (For the Sauce)
  • 2 cloves Garlic cloves, minced (For the Sauce)
  • 1 tbsp All-purpose flour (For the Sauce)
  • 1 cup Milk (For the Sauce)
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (Key for that wonderful tanginess) (For the Sauce)
  • 0.5 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese (For the Sauce)
  • Peanut or Vegetable oil (Enough for shallow frying at $340^{circ}text{F} (170^{circ}text{C})$) (For Frying)

Equipment

  • Meat mallet for pounding chicken
  • large skillet for frying
  • Saucepan for the Dijon sauce
  • Oven for finishing the chicken

Method
 

  1. Pound the chicken breasts until they are an even $1/2text{ inch}$ thickness. Season them well with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Layer $2text{ slices}$ of Swiss cheese and $2text{ slices}$ of ham on each seasoned chicken breast. Roll them up tightly and secure them with plastic wrap or toothpicks.
  2. Refrigerate the filled chicken rolls for a minimum of 30 minutes. This chilling time is essential to help the rolls firm up, making the breading much easier and preventing the filling from leaking.
  3. Set up a simple breading station with three separate shallow dishes: one with flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the panko bread crumbs. Dredge each chilled chicken roll first in the flour, then dip it fully in the beaten eggs, and finally coat it thoroughly with panko. Press the panko on gently.
  4. Heat the oil in a large skillet to $340^{circ}text{F}$ ($170^{circ}text{C}$). Fry each roll for about 5 minutes per side until they are beautifully golden brown. To ensure they are fully cooked through, finish them in a preheated oven until the internal temperature reaches $165^{circ}text{F}$ ($75^{circ}text{C}$).
  5. In a separate saucepan, melt the $2text{ tbsp}$ butter and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant. Sprinkle in the $1text{ tbsp}$ of flour (this creates a roux) and whisk for one minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until the sauce is smooth. Stir in the Dijon mustard and shredded Parmesan, continuing to stir until the sauce thickens and becomes wonderfully creamy.
  6. Gently slice the cooked chicken rolls to show off the beautiful ham and cheese layers inside. Drizzle the warm Dijon sauce generously over the top and serve immediately.

Notes

The $30$-minute chilling time is essential for stabilizing the chicken rolls and preventing the filling from leaking. For best results, secure the rolls tightly with toothpicks. The dish is traditionally finished in the oven after frying to ensure the internal temperature reaches $165^{circ}text{F}$ ($75^{circ}text{C}$). The Dijon cream sauce is made using a roux ($1text{ tbsp}$ butter + $1text{ tbsp}$ flour) for smooth thickening.