Chicken cordon bleu

Blue ribbon cuisine:

Cordon bleu means blue ribbon in French and is an award offered to food or chefs representative of fine French cuisine. However, it is unclear if chicken cordon bleu is truly French. It may have been patterned after veal cordon bleu (a similar Swiss dish using veal in place of chicken) by chefs in the United States. In any case, it is an exceptional dish offered here with a cream sauce.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 tablespoon – extra virgin olive oil
• 4 – chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless
• 1 teaspoon – garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon – fresh ground pepper
• 4 – slices of ham (4 x 6 inches)
• 4 – slices of Swiss cheese (4 x 6 inches)
• 2 – eggs, beaten
• 2 cups – breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon – paprika

Sauce:

• 1 10 ¾-ounce can – cream of mushroom soup (I like the Campbell’s brand)
• 1 4-ounce can – sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup – sour cream
• ½ cup – chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon – lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon – fresh ground pepper
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 11 x 13 inch baking dish with olive oil.  Pound each chicken breast to at least half its original thickness between two pieces of wax paper.  Sprinkle each chicken breast front and back with garlic salt and pepper.  Then place one slice of ham and cheese on each piece of chicken. Pour breadcrumbs onto a plate and mix them with paprika.  Add the eggs to a bowl and beat. First, place the bottom of the chicken in the egg (do not place the ham and cheese side into the egg). Then place each chicken breast on the breadcrumbs, chicken side face down.  Roll each breast into a tight roll and place in greased pan seam side down. 

Chicken breasts being coated with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the bread crumbs are dark brown.

Stir sauce ingredients together in a sauce pan over medium high heat.  Serve over and around chicken.

Voila – chicken cordon bleu.

J. Botticelli