Open-faced Chicken Cordon Bleu

Need a simple, elegant entrée for dinner? This Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe is lighter in calories and is so tasty. Great way to use up leftover ham too! Four easy steps and dinner is in the oven... less than an hour from start to finish!

Open-faced Chicken Cordon Bleu

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Olive oil
4 3-ounce chicken breasts, 1-inch thickness
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 slices ham, thinly cut or shaved
4 slices Swiss cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped

Equipment needed:

11 x 7 or 13 x 9-inch baking pan
Small mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Cutting board
Chef knife

Ingredient pic

I love Chicken Cordon Bleu and always remember it being served at fancy dinners growing up. The usual cordon bleu is stuffed and often fried. I have prepared this dish that way many times and figured there had to be an easier way with a lot less fat! This Easter I had quite a bit of leftover spiral cut honey ham and immediately started to crave cordon bleu! Of course, I always have assorted cheeses in the refrigerator, so got to work creating this dish. Takes literally 10 -15 minutes to prepare and another 40 in the oven... instant dinner! Grab your chicken breasts and let’s cook!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Four steps are all it takes to make this entrée! First step is to lightly oil the baking pan with olive oil or spray. Then combine the dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Stir the bread crumbs, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper together with a fork or your hands. (If your chicken breasts are thick, butterfly them by cutting the breast carefully in half about 3⁄4 of the way through so the chicken will lay flat when opened. Pound lightly to flatten. See Chicken Marsala recipe for steps and pictures) Take your thin chicken breasts and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Spread oil with fingers to coat both sides and roll in bread crumbs. Shake off excess and place in prepared pan.

After all the chicken is breaded, time for the ham and cheese. I was using leftover spiral ham, so I took the end piece that was not cut and sliced it into eight thin pieces. I have also used the spiral cuts too, cutting them about the size of each portion. You can use deli ham too, if you don’t have leftovers. If using deli meat, I prefer to have it sliced super thin or shave it and place two or three slices on each breast. As you can see, I arranged the meat by over lapping it a bit too... improves meal appeal. Next step is the cheese. Cut each slice of cheese diagonally and arrange on top of ham to cover. Place the pan in the center of a preheated 350 F oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Final touch is the garnish! I’m all about the garnish...visual meal appeal is so important. Chop a bit of fresh parsley and sprinkle on top. Notice how the dish pops with this little color? Serve with a fresh green spinach salad or green vegetable of choice. (For bigger eaters... a bit of potato or rice pilaf is a nice combination too!) Doesn’t your plate look elegant? Go ahead... dig in... Enjoy!