Chicken cordon bleu is not a difficult dish to make. In fact, it is quite simple if you have a good recipe to follow. If you enjoy stuffed poultry dishes, you will really like this one. This recipe is centuries older than the Cordon Bleu cooking school, which is in France.
It is not known for sure whether the dish originated in France or whether it was the creation of United States chefs trying to imitate a European style stuffed meat recipe.
Chicken Cordon Bleu History
The phrase “cordon bleu” means blue band or blue ribbon. King Henry III started up a knightly order to fight for Catholicism.
This group of knights would wear a Maltese cross around their neck, suspended by a blue ribbon. They gathered for enormous feasts, cooked by skilled chefs, and the blue ribbon became associated with fine cooking.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu
Cordon bleu is chicken or veal wrapped around Swiss cheese and ham. A lot of cordon bleu recipes also feature a breadcrumb crust. The easiest way to make this recipe is to make a layered dish with the meat underneath and add the cheese and ham near the end so it warms and melts. You can bake this type of recipe, rather than fry it, making it ideal if you are watching your weight.
Another chicken cordon bleu preparation method is to make a hole in the meat, put the cheese inside and wrap it in ham and then breadcrumbs. The most common way of preparing this dish however, is to butterfly the bird, pound it flat and wrap the cheese and ham inside. Finally, dip it in breadcrumbs and grill, fry or bake it.
Swiss cheese and ham are the normal fillings for this boneless stuffed recipe but you can try Provolone, mozzarella or Gruyere, along with bacon, prosciutto, or cured ham if you want. You might also want to add some fresh basil or spinach and one or two chopped sun dried tomatoes to the filling, although that is not the original recipe.
Pound the meat to a quarter inch thick and sprinkle some salt and freshly ground black pepper on to it before adding the ham and cheese. Roll the creation up and secure it with cocktail sticks. The easiest way to get the breadcrumbs to stick to the meat is to mix them with a beaten egg first.
How to Serve Chicken Cordon Bleu
A creamy sauce or a mustard sauce goes nicely with the flavors in this boneless chicken recipe or you could leave out the sauce if you like.
Rice or potatoes are a nice accompaniment for this boneless chicken recipe and you can serve any vegetables you like on the side. This recipe is a great one for a dinner party because it looks appetizing, is easy to make and there are different variations.
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