Chicken Cordon Bleu

The name Le Cordon Bleu was used for the first time in relation to culinary excellence in the 16^th century when King Henry III created one of the most important orders in France, “L’Ordre du Saint-Esprit.” Symbolizing this order was the cross of the Holy Spirit which hung on a blue ribbon or un cordon bleu. Due to the prestigious nature of this Order and the decadent feasts accompanying their ceremonies, the name Le Cordon Bleu became well recognized and celebrated.


Le Cordon Bleu, as a culinary arts school, was founded in Paris in 1895 by the journalist and publisher of La Cuisinière Cordon Bleu magazine, Marthe Distel. On January 14^th, 1896 the first cooking demonstration ever to be held on an electric stove was staged at Le Cordon Bleu in an effort to promote the magazine and launch the Paris cooking school. From this point on, the international reputation of Le Cordon Bleu spread rapidly. Great chefs came to the school to teach students further contributing to the world-renowned reputation of the school. As a result, students from a variety of countries were enrolling in classes as well as notable figures including Julia Child in 1950.

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a dish that very few who are looking to eat with fewer calories and lower fat content in their diets would ever think to prepare.  It's breaded and stuffed with cheese.  How can this be healthy?

Judy and I found a recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu that not only fulfills all of the taste expectations one would hope for in a meal, but has a relatively low WW point value.

It's a little tricky, but fun, and definitely worth trying.  This recipe earns the Blue Ribbon, Le Cordon Bleu 


Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

4 Chicken breast halves, each sliced into 3 thin cutlets. (This is the tricky part.  We ruined the first two breasts trying to slice them so thin.  Finally we found that buying already sliced "Chicken Cutlets" made the process so much simpler.  However, the pre-sliced cutlets are larger, so the points value should be adjusted accordingly)
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp water
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
12 thin slices of Deli Ham
12 slices of reduced-fat Swiss cheese. We used Jarlsberg Lite.
Salt
Cooking Spray
Toothpicks

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350

Mix 2 eggs and Tbsp of water and set aside for later

Slice chicken breasts into thin cutlets, about 3 per breast.  (OK at this point you'll want to use the already sliced cutlets you found at the store. If your store doesn't carry the already sliced "Cutlets", ask your butcher for help.) Place cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound until about 1/4 inch thin.  This makes it easier to roll up the breast after stuffing it.

Place a slice of ham on top of the cutlet, top with a slice of cheese (cut each piece of cheese into 4 squares and place on top of each other).

Wrap the chicken around to completely cover the cheese.  Fold in the sides and secure the roll up with toothpicks.  Make certain there are no holes so the cheese won't ooze out.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Dip roll ups in egg mixture to coat and then breadcrumbs.  We added a little Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs for flavor and a somewhat cheesy texture.

Spray a cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on sheet. Lightly spray chicken with oil. Bake about 25 minutes or until cooked.

Serve with vegetable and/or brown rice. Don't forget to remove the toothpicks.

These may even be better a day or two later simply reheated in the oven.  You'll have plenty of leftovers, so please ENJOY!!

Makes 12 servings. Level of difficulty is moderate. WW PointsPlus value = 5 per roll up.

Prep time 20 - 30 minutes. Cooking time 25 minutes.