Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a classic French dish simplified. Good food does not necessarily mean complicated food.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded flat
8 slices Swiss cheese
8 slices deli ham
8 spears fresh asparagus (optional)
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup melted butter
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Pound out the chicken breasts until equal thickness through out, using a meat mallet. Lay breasts with inside facing up. (Determining the inside and outside of the breast is easy. The outside is smooth, and the inside you can see the muscle tissue.) Layer Swiss cheese, deli ham, and asparagus across short part of the meat. Grasping one end of breast, tightly roll it up and secure with a toothpick. Lay seam side down in a baking dish sprayed with pan release.

Season with salt and pepper. Mix breadcrumbs and butter together and evenly sprinkle on top of breasts. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes and breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Serve over wild rice with a White Basil Sauce.




White Basil Sauce

In a saucepan, combine 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, sea salt and pepper to taste. Bring up to medium heat and stir to keep from burning. Once hot, add 1 pint heavy whipping cream. Bring back up to heat, until you get a gentle rolling boil. Allow to reduce slightly and thicken with a pinch of roux. Roux (pronounced roué) is melted clarified butter heated with a little plain flour and made into a paste. Remember, sauce will thicken more once it cools some. If it is too thick, just add a little more cream or milk.

Serve over Chicken Cordon Bleu.