Chicken Cordon Bleu with White Wine Mustard Cream Sauce

Sometimes an idea comes together and turns out to be something amazing! That would be the case with this chicken dish. I had some chicken in the refrigerator that I wanted to use up and just couldn’t come up with an idea. Hmmm…..thinking….still thinking. Finally it came to me……chicken cordon bleu.

But how was I going to make it? I wanted this to be something that would be easy and fairly hands off. So instead of stuffing it with the ham and cheese, breading it and sauteing it, I stuffed it and then topped it with panko bread crumbs. Then I baked it in the oven. While the chicken was baking, I had plenty of time to make the sauce and get the rest of the meal ready.

I have to say, it was incredibly easy to make and it was fabulously delicious! The chicken was juicy, the cheese was creamy and the breadcrumbs were crunchy and added great flavor. When you paired it with the white wine mustard sauce it went to a new level of deliciousness! The hint of mustard in the sauce complimented the ham and cheese beautifully.

This recipe is definitely a keeper (Alex even said so). It’s easy enough to make any night of the week AND you could totally “wow” your guests if you made this for a dinner party.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

For chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 4-5 oz each
2 slices deli ham
2 slices fontina or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp butter, melted
salt and pepper

For the sauce:

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream (or half and half)
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Pound each piece of chicken out to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Top each piece of chicken with half a piece of ham and then half a piece of cheese.

Fold each chicken breast over in half and secure with a toothpick. Season with salt and pepper.

Finely chop parsley and garlic. Combine in a small bowl with panko bread crumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper.

Place chicken in prepared baking dish, top each piece with 1/4 of the bread crumb mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until breadcrumbs are toasty and chicken is cooked through.

While chicken bakes, prepare sauce. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small skillet over medium heat.

Sprinkle flour over melted butter. Whisk in and allow to cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in wine, cook for 1 minute and then whisk in chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and allow to thicken.