Chicken Cordon Bleu is an easily prepared meal consisting of tender chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese; then baked until golden brown.
Chicken Cordon Bleu or the term cordon bleu means 'of the highest class; however, when referring to the food which originated in Switzerland in the 1940's.
It generally refers to either veal or chicken that is wrapped with a thin slice of ham and soft cheese like Swiss.
I used to think it was so hard to make Chicken Cordon Bleu because growing up in the 1970's as a child, it would always be on a restaurant menu and being naive (and not even in my teens), if it was on the menu you generally didn't eat it at home.
Pfffttt...Crazy right?
Well fast forward many years later to where my Aunt Renee (one who had me replicate that Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce you all LOVE so much) and I were having a conversation about food.
She wanted to know if I knew how to make Chicken Cordon Bleu. My response was that I had made it years ago in my early 20's, but haven't made it since.
I told her that I would make the recipe again and if it turned out good, I would post the recipe. I made mine a little differently than I had years ago to add a little flavor and help keep the meat moist, and this recipe was delicious!
How do you make Chicken Cordon Bleu?
First, I had to trim down my boneless, skinless chicken breasts since they were about 8-ounces each. I cut them in half horizontally to make two, 4-ounce pieces; however, you can purchase chicken that has already been trimmed for you to make it easier.
Next, I combined Dijon mustard and chopped chives; then spread the mixture on top of the chicken.
I then added slices of boiled ham and Swiss cheese on top of the mustard; then carefully rolled the chicken up.
My pieces were pretty large so I didn't need to use toothpicks to hold them together, but you can if you feel the need to; just remember to remove the toothpicks prior to serving.
I dipped the rolled up chicken into egg whites; then panko breadcrumbs, sprayed them with cooking spray and placed them into an oven save baking dish where they baked for 30 minutes in a 375 degree F oven.
Viola..Chicken Cordon Bleu! To prepare this dish it only took about 20 minutes, so if you wanted to prepare this in the morning; then refrigerate until you are ready to bake it when you come home at night, it makes a tasty weeknight meal.
We really loved the addition of Dijon and chives and the cheese was oozing out of the center when I sliced it open.
Serve this with some rice and your favorite vegetable and dinner is served. Don't forget to check out and share my latest food video on YouTube below. ~Enjoy!
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Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or four 4-ounce breasts)
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 4 slices boiled ham
- 4 slices sliced swiss cheese
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the chicken horizontally into four 4oz. pieces; then use a meat mallet to pound the meat to make it uniform in size and thickness.
- Combine the Dijon mustard and chives in a small bowl; then spread the mixture on top of the chicken.
- Add one slice of ham and one slice of cheese to each piece of chicken on top of the mustard; then carefully roll up the chicken. Use toothpicks to secure the chicken if need be, but remember to remove them prior to serving.
- Next, dip the rolled chicken into the egg whites; then breadcrumbs. Spray the chicken with cooking spray and place them into an oven save baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
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Maria says
So, I just finished prepping the chicken, and it was difficult! First I think a thin slice of cheese would of worked better. I just bought a pack of swiss cheese from Costco and it is too thick to roll. Maybe even hammering out the chicken will make it a bit longer and able to roll. It was too fat at one end and I had already sliced the breast in half to make 4oz. Not sure if I will attempt this again, I will decide after cooking and eating it. It looks delicious though.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I'm sorry you had a rough time making this dish. The swiss cheese I used was thinly sliced and I probably would have pounded the chicken to make it uniform in size and thickness as well. I hope you enjoyed it after it was done and thank you for letting me know you're challenges. I'll update the post to include that information.
Sarah says
My mom makes this, but instead of boiled ham, she uses prosciutto... so delicious!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Thanks for the tip Sarah! I think I'll try it that way myself next time..we love prosciutto! 🙂
Donna says
This sounds like a chicken kiev that's gone one stage further! AMAZING! I will have to try this x
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Thanks Donna, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!