Chicken Cordon Bleu

Every time I ask my husband "what do you want for dinner tonight?" he always asks for chicken cordon bleu.  Unfortunately for him, I don't always have the ingredients on hand.  People tend to shy away from meals that sound difficult to make, but this one really isn't hard, it just has a few steps to follow and takes some time to prepare.  After you make it a few times you get fast at throwing it together.  Hopefully all my pictures will help. Here's what you'll need for this tasty dinner that comes from "The Taste of Home".

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 lbs), ($3-$4)
• 2 TBSP Butter, softened ($0.12)
• 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
• 4 thin slices fully cooked ham (about $1.50)
• 4 thin slices Swiss cheese ($0.60)
• 8 bacon strips ($2.50)
• 2 eggs ($0.22)
• 1/2 cup milk ($0.08)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ($0.09)
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs ($0.60)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
• 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
• 1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese ($0.25)

Total Cost to Make: ($9.01-$10.01) not including sides for 4 servings, and keep in mind I got good prices on the bacon and ham.  If you want higher end meats, this will cost more.  For my family I only make 3 breasts since the kids always share one and I can't eat a whole one myself.

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Then, I like to slice my chicken and butterfly it, if it is thick, and then cover with plastic wrap and flatten more with the flat side of a meat mallet.

Next, spread butter and sprinkle with the thyme.  The butter will be hard to spread if the chicken is still cold.  Just do your best. 

Then, top with the ham and Swiss cheese.

Roll the chicken up and wrap it with the bacon.  Use toothpicks to hold it in place.

Get three separate bowls ready.  In the first bowl put the flour, in the second bowl put the eggs and milk (and whisk together), and in the third bowl put the bread crumbs, garlic powder, oregano, and Parmesan (and mix up). Take the bacon covered chicken and first cover it in the flour.

Next, dip in the egg.

And finally cover in the bread crumb mixture.

Place the covered chicken in a baking dish.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.  I cooked mine closer to 50 or 55 minutes but I had large chicken breasts. 

Look how the butter, juices, and cheese all bubble out onto the baking dish.  Yum!