Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is my recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu — which is a bit different from the  authentic recipe that I was originally taught to make by a chef friend — having my own twists and spins added.   Serve with a fresh salad on the side and you have a complete meal perfect for any occasion.

You can pound out the chicken which ever way you normally do to flatten it — or follow my recommendations.

You can use your own preferred stuffing  — or you can use the stuffing recipe given which makes a much smaller amount than normally used to stuff a whole bird cavity.   Just be sure to note the various given food safety recommendations.

You can even use your own preferred sauce and breading, change up the seasonings, try out various kinds of Dijon mustard (or make your own), try other cheeses, etc.  — or otherwise put your very own twists on this — or any other — recipe.

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The right tools for the right job:

I believe that every kitchen should have a rubber mallet, a pair of regular pliers, and a pair of needle nosed pliers — all designated for food use only — as well as a smooth wooden mallet or straight rolling pin.

Straight wooden rolling pin:

Regular pliers:

Needle nosed pliers:

Meat tenderizers (wooden or metallic) have prongs or projections which have a tendency to shred and tear apart the much more delicate chicken and therefore should only be used for tenderizing tough sinewy red meats. When flattening chicken it needs to be placed between two layers of very thick heavy duty plastic wrap or many layers of regular cling wrap to avoid splattering — which a meat tenderizer will also rip and shred — leaving tiny bits of plastic wrap stuck inside of your chicken which will then have to be thrown away since there is no way to pick it all out or be sure that it isn’t hiding unseen deeper within the meat. 

Rubber mallets are excellent for crushing. Place things like croutons or nuts into a heavy duty freezer bag and remove excess air, or place into a shallow pan and cover with a lint free linen cup towel,  then pound away using only the amount of force required to accomplish the desired consistency. They are also good for gently flattening chicken — particularly after it is already pounded out with a wooden mallet or rolling pin so that it is fairly thin — becoming far more delicate — but still not yet as thin as needed, or you can use the rubber mallet to do all of the flattening although it takes a tad bit longer.  This method — if carefully done — can be used to get almost bacon slice thin flattened chicken breasts which can then be wrapped around other things in much the same way as you do a bacon wrap.

Needle nosed pliers are excellent for removing quills left behind in poultry and tiny fish bones while regular pliers are great for removing toothpicks (needle nosed pliers can result in breakage) and are also great for opening those small bottle caps that just won’t come off — as long as you don’t squeeze them much too tightly which could break the glass.   You will find they both have many other uses in the kitchen. However, they should be purchased new and designated as kitchen pliers for food use only to avoid bacterial, chemical, and other particulate cross contamination which can cause serious illness and food poisoning. 

You can even put them in the dishwasher.  Be sure to replace them — as you would any other kitchen utensil — if damaged, broken, or if they become rusty.

A straight wooden rolling pin is great both for pounding out layers of pastry with butter as well as poultry in addition being used as a rolling pin.  Because it has no handles there is nothing to potentially break when used for pounding.   Just be sure that the end you are holding is held out away from the edge of the counter top both to keep it level and flat for pounding — as well as to avoid smashing or breaking your fingers.

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Tam’s Chicken Cordon Bleu

My twist on the original authentic and classic recipe taught to me by a chef friend. 

6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
6 slices fully cooked ham
6 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs or crushed seasoned croutons
3 large eggs with 2 Tablespoons milk, beaten
4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan and/or Gruyere cheese
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme or 1 Tablespoon (3 to 4 sprigs) fresh thyme — leaves only
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin oil (for browning in skillet)
Stuffing (see below)
Dijon Cream Sauce (see below)
Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Equipment Needed:

Tongs for turning chicken when browning
Whisk
Pastry brush
Small bowl for egg mixture
Pan or casserole dish for dredging (mixing the crumbs and coating the chicken)
Large skillet
Baking pan lined with a sheet of Parchment Paper
Toothpicks (rounded and sharp pointed; not the flat sided blunt ended type)
Straight Wooden Rolling Pin or a smooth Wooden Mallet and/or Rubber Mallet
Heavy Duty (thick, heavy) plastic wrap or multiple layers of regular cling wrap or gallon sized plastic bags
Dinner fork, optional
Regular pliers designated for food use only, optional

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness.

Place breast smooth side down between sheets of thick heavy duty plastic wrap (double or triple if using regular thin cling wrap) to prevent splatter by pounding gently with smooth sided kitchen rubber, smooth wooden mallet or a straight wooden rolling pin — working from the center outward and repeating from the center outward until reaching the desired thickness. Place the smooth side of the breast facing down so that it stays intact and once stuffed and rolled up it faces out. It is also covered with a thin transparent membrane that will help keep the flattened breast from falling apart or tearing easily.  Chicken can also be placed inside a large gallon sized plastic bag as long as the excess air is removed to be pounded out.  

Top with stuffing, then Swiss cheese slices, then ham, then the grated cheese. Roll up, tuck ends, and secure with toothpicks.

Preheat a large skillet and the extra virgin olive oil.

In a shallow bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs or seasoned croutons, flour, cheese, sage, paprika, thyme, onion and garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare egg and milk mixture and whisk until smooth.

Using a pastry brush on the egg mixture lightly on all sides of the chicken.

Next, coat the chicken on all sides with the bread crumb or seasoned crouton mixture.

Brown the chicken over medium-high heat on both sides.  Do not over crowd the skillet.  Place spaced apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes — or until chicken is tender with internal temperature of 165 F degrees.  Time will vary depending upon the quantity and thickness of ingredients stuffed inside of the breasts.

Remove toothpicks, drizzle with Parmesan Dijon Cream Sauce and garnish with parsley if desired prior to serving.

Tip:

To remove toothpicks, place two fingers of non-dominant hand to either side of toothpick or if food is too hot slide between the tines of a dinner fork and gently press down, grasp with thumb and forefinger of opposite hand and pull straight out at the angle in which it was inserted. If toothpicks are too hot to grasp use oven mitt or kitchen pliers that are designated for food use only.

If it is resistant, spin it back and forth until loosened before pulling out to avoid tearing the meat or breaking the toothpick off inside.

Inspect each toothpick as it is removed to ensure that it is intact and none has broken off inside the meat so you can caution others to cut in and find it before eating — so as to avoid serious injury or choking.

Parmesan Dijon Cream Sauce

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (in a pinch may substitute 1/2 cup granulated Parmesan cheese but it may not always turn out as smooth and creamy)
pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until mixture clumps together and just begins to change color. Gradually whisk in the evaporated milk, working out the lumps, then the sour cream. Add Dijon mustard, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and pepper to taste.

Stuffing

Cut up 3/4 cups chopped slices of bread (including crust plus 1 or 2 heels obtained from the ends of the bread loaf), or 3/4 cups seasoned croutons.

If using bread or only have unseasoned croutons: Toss with 3 to 4 Tablespoons melted butter, then add 4 Tablespoons chopped onion, pepper to taste, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage, 1 small garlic clove finely minced or crushed, a pinch of ground cumin, a pinch of tarragon, and rosemary to taste.

Bring 1/2 cup chicken broth plus 2 Tablespoons butter to a full roiling boil, remove from heat, add bread mixture or seasoned croutons, stir well to moisten, cover with a lid and let sit for 15 or 20 minutes. Stir again before using.

If more moisture is needed add more broth warmed (not boiled) in microwave and if too wet add more bread or croutons. If desired, may also add a small quantity of dried cranberries and diced apples.

Any unused portion of the stuffing should either be disposed of or cooked to an internal temperature 165 F degrees due to likely cross contamination while using to stuff raw chicken breasts. Try not to over stuff the chicken breasts.

About 3 to 4 Tablespoons per breast is usually a sufficient quantity of stuffing.

To avoid cross contamination so any remaining stuffing may be safely used for something else, spoon on the stuffing without letting the spoon come into contact with the raw chicken, top with the cheese slice, then add the ham and press down slightly to help spread out the stuffing before topping with grated cheese.