This chicken cordon bleu recipe produces flavorful, tender chicken roulades filled with prosciutto ham and melted Gruyere cheese. It's quite possibly the most famous "French" chicken recipe in the world when, in fact, it is not historically connected to France. Chicken cordon bleu was an American creation during the roulade culinary trend of the mid-20th century, and only its name, which means "blue ribbon," can be traced to France.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 entrees
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup coarse, dry bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped thyme
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded 1/4-inch thin
- 8 thin slices prosciutto
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 eggs, beaten
Preparation:
How to make chicken cordon bleu:
Preheat the oven to 375F. Brush a baking pan with olive oil and set it aside. Stir together the dry bread crumbs, chopped thyme, crushed garlic, and melted butter, and then set the mixture aside to use later.
Place a chicken breast half flat on a plate or cutting board and layer 2 slices of prosciutto on top of the chicken. Sprinkle 2 ounces of Gruyere cheese over the prosciutto, avoiding the edges. Roll the prepared chicken into a tight spiral. Repeat the layering and rolling process with the remaining chicken breast halves.
Stir together the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, making sure to coat the whole surface of the chicken. Shake off any excess flour; there only needs to be a thin coating of it on the chicken. Quickly dip the chicken in the eggs and allow any excess egg to run off. Dredge the chicken in the prepared bread crumb and herb mixture and place it the prepared baking pan. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of chicken.
Bake the chicken cordon bleu for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then slice the roulades into spirals and serve immediately.
This chicken cordon bleu recipe makes 4 entree-sized servings.
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