Quick & Easy, Super Tasty Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic dish loved by many. However, nowadays, people tend to get their cordon bleu from the frozen section of the supermarket, which is a shame when it only takes a few minutes to whip your own home made version. So, read on and enjoy this simple Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe good for one person. Just adjust the ingredients accordingly if feeding a family or more people.[lockercat]

What You’ll Need:

• Boneless chicken breast (about 4-8 ounces per piece)
• Two slices of ham
• A slice of cheese (add more if you want to)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup of flour
• An egg, slightly beaten
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (you may use the usual breadcrumb or panko breadcrumb for extra crispiness)
• A teaspoon or two of mustard
• Half a teaspoon of Parsley (fresh or dry works well, adjust to 1 teaspoon if using fresh leaves)
• Cooking oil for frying (enough to fill your pan about ¼ inch)
• Your favorite sauce
• Toothpicks or string for securing the rolled chicken later

Let’s Start Heating Up the Kitchen

1. Prepare all your ingredients.
2. Cut the chicken breast so it spreads out.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until it is really flattened and is between ¼ to 1/8 inch thick. Be careful not to break the chicken.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in a bit of mustard.
5. Spread the mustard evenly.
6. Place your ham over the chicken and then add in the cheese. Placing the ham over the chicken before the cheese prevents the cheese from leaking out in case your chicken was pounded so thin and has holes in it. This layering technique also makes for a better color contrast when you cut the Chicken Cordon Bleu prior to serving.
7. Roll up the chicken starting from the side with cheese. Secure with strings or toothpicks.
8. Prepare your breading. Season the flour and breadcrumbs with a bit of salt, pepper, and parsley. This ensures that all layers of the dish will be tasty. Beat the egg slightly too.
9. Roll the chicken in the flour. Shake off the excess and dip in the beaten egg.
10. Roll in the breadcrumbs and let sit for 5 to 15 minutes before frying. This way, the breading will stay on the chicken.
11. Fry evenly on all sides on a hot pan with oil over medium heat.
12. It is done when all sides have been browned evenly. Take off the pan and drain excess oil by placing it over some kitchen towels. Allow to rest for 5-15 minutes before cutting to ensure the juices and the cheese won’t leak out. An alternative is to deep fry the chicken or to spray it with oil and bake in the oven for about twenty to thirty minutes depending on the oven’s temperature setting.
13. Cut diagonally and serve with sauce or side dishes! Enjoy![/lockercat]