Chicken Cordon Bleu with Dijon Cream Sauce

Description

Is it actually French? It’s served at every French restaurant here in the States, but I’m pretty sure it’s, like, Swedish. Regardless, it’s breaded cheese and meat – tough to go wrong. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 (6 ounce) chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 slice ham steak
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
  • toothpicks
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 cups Italian-style panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Butterfly each chicken breast by cutting it down the center
  2. lengthwise
  3. leaving about 1 inch of connective tissue at the other end. Spread open like a book
  4. and rub each chicken breast with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let rest for 30 minutes to absorb salt.
  5. Cover each chicken breast with plastic wrap and pound thin with a meat mallet until roughly doubled in surface area. Using a very sharp knife or meat slicer
  6. cut ham steak into very thin slices.
  7. Spread 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese over each chicken breast
  8. then divide 1/4 of the ham between them. Repeat
  9. making 2 layers. Fold chicken over like an omelet
  10. enclosing cheese and ham. Secure open edges with 4 to 5 toothpicks.
  11. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a second bowl. Carefully dredge each chicken breast in flour
  12. coat with egg wash
  13. then dredge in breading. Transfer to a wire rack and freeze for 20 minutes to help breading adhere to chicken.
  14. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place breaded chicken breasts in a baking dish.
  15. Bake chicken in the preheated oven for 25 minutes
  16. then brush each side down with melted butter and flip. Bake for 25 minutes more.
  17. To make the sauce: Pour milk into a saucepan set over low heat and simmer until steaming
  18. about 10 minutes.
  19. Melt butter and stir in flour to create a roux. Let roux cook
  20. stirring constantly
  21. 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in hot milk
  22. letting sauce come together before adding more milk
  23. until everything is well incorporated. Add Parmesan cheese and nutmeg
  24. stirring constantly until cheese is melted evenly into sauce. Stir in Dijon mustard. Simmer sauce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
  25. Remove chicken from oven and transfer to plates; remove toothpicks. Ladle sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 50 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins

Servings: 2

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