Description
A classic and elegant Cordon Bleu Chicken recipe featuring tender chicken breasts stuffed with Black Forest ham and Swiss Gruyere cheese, coated in a crispy panko and Parmesan breadcrumb crust, baked to perfection and served with a rich Dijon cream sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Filling
- 4 medium chicken breasts (6-7 oz. each)
- 8 slices (12 ounces) deli cut Black Forest ham
- 1 1/4 cups freshly shredded Swiss Gruyere cheese
- Toothpicks
- Fresh parsley for garnish if desired
Breading
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dijon Wash
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Dijon Cream Sauce
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk or half and half mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a baking rack and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Flatten Chicken: Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them to an even thickness of 1/4-inch using the flat side of a meat mallet or the side of a can. The chicken will spread out quite a bit.
- Assemble Chicken Rolls: Lay 2 slices of ham over each flattened chicken breast. Evenly line a heaping 1/4 cup of shredded Swiss Gruyere cheese down the center of the ham, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
- Roll and Secure: Beginning at the smaller end of each chicken breast, tightly roll up the chicken, folding the ham over the cheese to prevent it from oozing out. Secure each roll with toothpicks.
- Prepare Panko Breading: In a large skillet, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat. Continue cooking until the crumbs are golden brown, then transfer to a large shallow dish to cool. Once cool, stir in Parmesan cheese and all the breading spices (dried basil, parsley, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper).
- Make Dijon Wash: In another large shallow dish, whisk together 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Working with one chicken roll at a time, dip it into the Dijon wash and brush to coat evenly.
- Bread the Chicken Rolls: Transfer each coated chicken roll to the breading mixture. Press the crumbs firmly onto all sides, turning as needed to coat fully. Place the breaded rolls on the prepared baking rack, spacing them a few inches apart.
- Bake Chicken: Bake the chicken rolls at 350 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 to 35 minutes. During the last 10 minutes, watch for excess browning and cover with foil if necessary. Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Prepare Dijon Cream Sauce: While the chicken is baking (or towards the last few minutes), whisk together chicken broth, cornstarch, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, dried parsley, dried basil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened. The sauce will continue to thicken off the heat.
- Serve: Slice the chicken rolls and spoon the Dijon cream sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a meat mallet or a heavy pan to carefully pound the chicken evenly to ensure uniform cooking and easier rolling.
- If Swiss Gruyere cheese is not available, you may substitute with Swiss or Gruyere cheese alone.
- For a lighter sauce, substitute heavy cream with evaporated milk or half and half mixed with cornstarch as indicated.
- Make sure to use low sodium chicken broth to control salt levels in the sauce.
- Use a meat thermometer to reliably check for doneness to avoid undercooking or drying out the chicken.
- Leftover Dijon cream sauce can be stored in the refrigerator and gently reheated for future meals.
- To keep the breadcrumb coating crispy, avoid covering the baked chicken immediately after baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
