It's good to be back!... especially with Chicken Cordon Bleu

We are back on the east after a great summer with family. My husband just started his job in Manhattan landing us across the river in New Jersey. Great area... great neighborhood... great commute... and an incredible view of the city, it can't get much better than that.
We couldn't be happier to finally be settled back into our normal life and even more excited to jump into some new creations in the kitchen.
We had family visiting us over the weekend so I stalked up on fresh deli ham in case we wanted to pack ham 'n cheese for our outings in the city. I bought way more than we ended up using. Great... now what do I do with a lb. of fresh deli ham?...
Chicken Cordon bleu of course!

We haven't had this in forever. I can't believe I had forgot about this little french gem. I know it looks complicated but it really is simple to make using very simple ingredients... ah... I love french cooking.

Chicken Cordon Blue
4 large chicken breasts
1/2 lb. deli ham slices
1/4 lb. Tillamook pre-sliced medium cheddar (you can use whatever, this is just my fav.)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (my attempt to make everything healthier... you can use all-purpose)
 2 eggs
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (much crunchier crust than plain bread crumbs... try them!)
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
2 Tbs. butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2-3 slices of ham neatly over the top to cover the breast and top 2-3 slices of cheese over the ham. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal inside and twist both ends of plastic wrap tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season with salt and pepper so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.

Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly roll the chicken roll in flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs, keeping it tightly rolled up. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the rolls onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.


*recipe inspired by Tyler Florence