Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Looking for an easy weeknight meal? Make Chicken Cordon Bleu! It’s easier than you think and can be ready in less than an hour. Pound the chicken breasts, then roll Castle Wood Reserve Honey Cured Ham and Swiss Cheese into them. Sear the chicken in a skillet until browned, then bake. Serve this family-friendly entree with a favorite veggie and watch as the whole family falls in love with this combination of flavors.

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Last March, I gave birth to our first child, a beautiful baby girl. While my husband and I were at the hospital, my mother stayed at our home.

She offered to take care of our dog, as well as make some freezer meals for us because she knew those would come in handy as we settled into our new normal.

The day we came home, a bright Wednesday afternoon, my mom was making a huge batch of Chicken Cordon Bleu, which is one of my all-time favorite meals. When we walked in, she was rolling chicken breast after chicken breast with ham and cheese and explained to us that she was going to freeze a lot of the ones she was making, then she’d cook the others for dinner.

We wholeheartedly agreed.

Those first few days of our daughter’s life are a blur now, but I remember that Chicken Cordon Bleu being perfect. Something about the combination of chicken, honey ham and Swiss cheese is super comforting to me. Also? The cheese and ham that ooze out of the rolled chicken as it bakes to form burnt bits in the bottom of the pan just add another layer of crunchy deliciousness.

I’ve made Chicken Cordon Bleu several times since our daughter arrived eighteen months ago, and every time, I think of my mom.

I used to think this entrée was really challenging to make. To this day, I’m unsure why because I’ve watched my mom make it time and again.

It turns out, all you need is an hour, four ingredients, salt and pepper… and toothpicks.

That’s it.

Who doesn’t like making an easy, delicious homemade meal that the whole family will adore? It tastes oh-so-fancy, but it’s oh-so-simple.

Lemme tell you how.

Recently, I wanted to recreate this dish, so I swung by my local Walmart and picked up some chicken breasts, a package of Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Baby Swiss Cheese and a package of Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Honey Cured Ham.

I spotted the Castle Wood Reserve® products in Walmart’s Deli section. Castle Wood Reserve® offers a full line of quality deli meets and cheeses! These products versatile enough to play part in a charcuterie board, a school lunch, or even dinner.

With my supplies in hand, I got to work.

And I’ve gotta say… The best thing you can do for yourself while prepping this recipe is set your workspace for success.

You’re going to be rolling chicken, so you want to place the slices of Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Baby Swiss Cheese, the slices of Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Honey Cured Ham, and the toothpicks on plates so you aren’t digging through their packaging when you should be rolling them.

I like to pound the chicken in a gallon-sized plastic bag, then I set the prepped chicken breasts on another plate.

And I like to roll them on a dishwasher-friendly cutting board.

I also like to set aside another clean plate for the rolled Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Make it easy on yourself, y’all. Trust me. Nobody wants to be scrubbing their countertops because raw chicken was prepped on it. (Been there, done that, and never again.)

So now that you’ve got your mise en place, let’s do this thing.

Set out the chicken. Make sure it’s flat.

Place three slices of Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Honey Cured Ham in it.

Place two slices of Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Baby Swiss Cheese on top of the ham.

Starting at the side closest to you, roll the chicken and its filling slowly until it the chicken overlaps itself. Try not to let too much of the cheese peek out, or it’ll ooze out when you sear the chicken. Then secure the chicken and its filling with 2-3 toothpicks, and set aside on the clean plate.

Repeat the process until all of the Chicken Cordon Bleu are rolled.

Wash your hands thoroughly. (Please don’t forget this step.)

Then you’ll season the chicken with salt and pepper before you sear it on all sides. Once the chicken is browned, it goes in the oven to finish cooking.

And that’s it!

So while that chicken bakes for 30 minutes, you can hang out. Prep whatever side you’re making. (We’re partial to steam green beans or broccoli with this dish!) Help the kids with their homework. Have a quality conversation with someone you love.

… You get the idea.

And then when the Chicken Cordon Bleu is done, let it cool for 5-10 minutes, remove the toothpicks, then serve.

Here’s how you can do it…

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Looking for an easy weeknight meal? Make Chicken Cordon Bleu! It's easier than you think and can be ready in less than an hour. Pound the chicken breasts, then roll Castle Wood Reserve Honey Cured Ham and Swiss Cheese into them. Sear the chicken in a skillet until browned, then bake. Serve this family-friendly entree with a favorite veggie and watch as the whole family falls in love with this combination of flavors.

5 from 1 vote

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Servings 6 servings

Calories 375 kcal

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

  

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• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ½ lbs. chicken breasts (about 6, depending on size)
• 8 slices Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Baby Swiss Cheese
• 12 slices Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Honey Cured Ham
• 12 toothpicks
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

 

Prepare and Roll the Chicken Cordon Bleu

• Place the chicken breasts into a gallon-sized plastic bag.
• Using a kitchen mallet, pound the chicken until about ½” thin.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag, and stack on a plate.
• On another plate, arrange the Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Baby Swiss Cheese slices and the Castle Wood Reserve® Natural Honey Cured Ham slices. Place the toothpicks on or around the same plate, too. (Please do this step. It makes this process SO MUCH EASIER, and it makes it to where you don’t have to dig in packaging while you have raw chicken fingers.)
• Transfer the first chicken breast onto a flat surface (like a cutting board that can go in the dishwasher). The chicken needs to lie flat for this to work.
• Place three slices of the honey ham onto the chicken.
• Place two slices of the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.
• Starting at the side closest to you, roll the chicken and its filling slowly until it the chicken overlaps itself. (Try not to let too much of the cheese peek out here, or it’ll ooze before it really cooks through.) Using 2-3 toothpicks, secure the chicken and its filling. Set onto a clean plate.
• Repeat this process until all the chicken breasts are rolled.
• Season the outside of the chicken parcels with salt and pepper.

Cook the Chicken Cordon Bleu

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the unsalted butter. This will be used to brown the outside of the chicken before it goes into the oven to finish cooking.
• When the butter is bubbling, carefully place the chicken in the skillet, placing the side where the chicken overlaps itself down first so it seals.
• Rotate the chicken to brown all sides. This should take around 15 minutes, give or take.
• When the chicken is completely browned, transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover the baking dish with foil, and transfer into the oven.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• When the timer goes off, remove the baking dish from the oven. Uncover, and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove the toothpicks so they are not accidentally bitten into.
• Serve warm, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 375kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 62gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 281mg

Course Entrees

Cuisine American

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