Tag: chicken cordon bleu

Italian Chicken Cordon Bleu: a New Take on an Old Recipe

I just made the first batch of Pesto from my sun and heat loving basil plant. It has been living happily on my balcony all summer, but it didn’t have an easy time of it. In fact this is basil plant #3. The first one was heartlessly destroyed by a marauding squirrel. The second one died a quick death caused by our crazy spring weather and a watering mishap. Plant #3 has survived and thrived. Partly because unlike some other plants, it really loves hot, dry, weather, but also because I built a chicken wire blockade surrounded by bamboo sticks that the squirrels can’t invade.

This is a picture of my plant, post pesto haircut. Yes, this is Mama D’s personal war with squirrels.

I love fresh basil. I use it in salads and pasta sauce, but my favorite use is to make pesto with it. Pesto is a simple thick and rich sauce simply made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and olive oil. It comes together quickly and can be frozen in small portions that can be at the ready to elevate any dish simply by its presence. Here is my original recipe for pesto. I don’t always use the parsley, opting for all basil, but it is good either way. https://mamadskitchen.net/recipe/roasted-garlic-pesto/

I have written about Pesto, a lot. I searched on my web site and found six pages of recipes that feature pesto in one way or another. It can be the star of a dish or a flavorful supporting player as my recipes illustrate. There has hardly been a year that a recipe using pesto wasn’t on the blog. Just search Pesto on my site and see  for yourself.

As I was looking over the pesto recipes, I found myself thinking that some of them could use an overhaul and decided that I would revisit and possibly re-work a couple of them. I often look back at old recipes and seem to see them with new eyes. Sometimes my available equipment has changed, other times my taste and sensibilities are in a different place.

First up is Chicken Cordon Bleu, Italian Style. I originally made it as a grilled, de-constructed, version using Prosciutto, Provolone, and Sage leaves.  Pesto, in this case, was a garnish. Here is the original version:  https://mamadskitchen.net/recipe/grilled-chicken-cordon-bleu-italian-style/

This time around, I wanted to make it more in the style of Traditional Cordon Bleu. That is putting the prosciutto  and cheese (smoked provolone) on the inside and wrapping the outside with more prosciutto. This also meant baking it instead of grilling it. Since I had a fresh batch of pesto, I decided to put it in the inside as well. Then it was a simple (sort of) process of rolling it up and securing it with some toothpicks. Finally, I enrobed it with prosciutto and sent it into the oven.

What came out smelled delicious and looked pretty good, too. Once it was plated and accessorized with some green beans it was time for the big reveal.

It was very tasty and showed me that every recipe can be changed into something different and sometimes, even better. So now, here with just a little fanfare, is the new version.

Print
Italian Style Chicken Cordon Bleu

A new take on an old recipe.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2
Author: binner216@comcast.net
Ingredients
  • 2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Cutlets
  • 2 Oz. Provolone Cheese (smoked style if you like) Thinly sliced
  • 1/4 Cup Pesto Homemade if you have it
  • 3-4 Oz. Prosciutto Thin slices
  • Freshly ground pepper
Instructions

  1. Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness. If your chicken breasts are on the thick side, remove the tenderloin and trim the thicker underside to match the rest of the breast..

  2. Lay the pounded breasts on a mat underside up. Season with pepper. Spread each breast with an even layer of the pesto, leaving a 1/2 inch border.

  3. Layer the cheese on top of the pesto. leave a 1/2 inch edge all around.

  4. Top each breast with 1 slice of prosciutto tear or fold to maintain the 1/2 inch border.

  5. Starting at the thinner, point end, roll the chicken breast firmly but not too tightly. Secure with toothpicks as needed. Make sure you know how many and approximately where they are, trust me.

  6. Wrap the chicken rolls with prosciutto. You can totally enrobe them or for a less salty version, wrap without overlapping..

  7. Place in a baking dish and roast in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees. Allow to rest until the internal temperature is 165. Remove all of the toothpicks

  8. Serve with a drizzle of the pan juices if you like.

Inspired Supper: Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu-Italian Style

I absolutely love coming up with recipes. It’s so much fun to ponder, “What should I make for supper?” and then let my mind wander until the perfect blend of ingredients comes to mind. I must confess, however, sometimes my ideas are not always completely my own.

I like nothing better than to read a cookbook as if it was the hottest best seller. There are so many things to learn from the pages of any given culinary tome. Another source of inspiration comes from the myriad cooking magazines that are available. I make it a point to pick up two or three every month, choosing something different each time. The inspiration for this recipe comes from one of those magazines.

Food Network Magazine featured a Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe in its September issue. It was a classic recipe turned inside out and prepared on the grill. It was interesting enough to catch my eye. Once my eye was caught, my brain started thinking about how I could make it my own. It was easy to prepare and the ham and cheese wrapper was definitely open to interpretation. The question became, “Where should I go with this recipe?” The answer was quickly obvious. Why to Italy, of course. I kept the chicken breast and the grill leaving the other ingredients behind. Except, that is, the zucchini which is always a pleasant partner in any Italian caper. Prosciutto and provolone cheese became the wrapper. A few sage leaves came along to provide an earthy surprise.2015-09-20 18.58.24

I decided that boneless, skinless chicken breasts can always use a little help in the flavor department, so I marinated them in olive, oil, lemon juice, and some Italian herbs. A bit of onion and some garlic also joined the mix. Then the grill did its magic and when the chicken was almost done, I added the sage, cheese, and prosciutto, 2015-09-20 19.35.29The beautiful bundles returned to the grill for a few minutes to turn a lovely pale gold. I decided to top it with some of my pesto to round the final turn for a classically Italian dish.2015-09-20 19.46.00Then there was the matter of the zucchini. My grill isn’t very large and can only provide a friendly and hot haven for one thing at a time, so the zucchini roasted in the oven. It was paired with red and sweet onions a glug of  olive oil and some Italian herb blend.2015-09-20 18.51.15Towards the end of the cooking I added a sprinkle of finely grated Romano cheese and let it brown up under the broiler. A little roughly chopped parsley and it was ready.2015-09-20 19.38.26This was a very satisfying supper, not too heavy and bursting with flavor. Other than marinating the chicken, everything was ready in about  half an hour. Perfect for a weeknight, but great for a weekend meal after a busy day.2015-09-20 19.48.05

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu: Italian Style
Print Recipe
Servings
2
Servings
2
Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu: Italian Style
Print Recipe
Servings
2
Servings
2
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken in a zip top bag. Mix together the lemon juice, grated garlic, chopped onion, one teaspoon of the herb seasoning, and one tablespoon of the olive oil. Pour into the bag with the chicken squeeze and turn the bag to coat the chicken evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours
  2. Remove the chicken from the bag and place on a hot grill. Grill until lightly browned. Turn and grill until the second side matches the first.
  3. Remove the chicken from the grill and lay three sage leaves on each breast. Top with a slice of the cheese and wrap with the prosciutto. Return the chicken to the grill cheese side up and cook for a few minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up the prosciutto.
  4. While the chicken is grilling, combine the zucchini, onions and the remaining olive oil and herb blend in a baking dish. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
  5. Top the zucchini with the Romano cheese and broil until the cheese is golden. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
  6. Top each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of the pesto. Plate it up and serve.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

I’m happy that this recipe inspired me and happier that the inspiration turned into something delicious. The moral of this story is that any recipe worth “borrowing” is worth making your own.