Chicken Cordon Bleu

    Pinterest strikes again! This was a gem of a find. Delicious, and not too complicated, although it looks and tastes like it. My kids even gobbled it up! (Always a big endorsement around here).

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (like you’re butterflying, but finish the cut)
• 12 slices deli ham
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 6 slices Swiss or Provolone cheese

Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard (more if you like a strong mustard flavor)
• ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Parsley, for garnish
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter; set aside.
3. Lay all of the chicken breast halves in a single layer in the bottom of your baking dish. Top each breast with two slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese, so that the entire breast is covered. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (clear juices), the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are golden brown. You may want to broil the chicken for a minute or two to really brown the bread crumbs.
5. While the chicken is cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a roux, cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk and chicken broth while whisking constantly, make sure there are no clumps. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Parmesan cheese, until the cheese is melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.
6. Remove chicken from oven, plate, and top with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. I added the parsley to the sauce itself.

Source: www.whitelightsonwednesday.com