Start spilling my guts like chicken cordon bleu.

So our dear friend Mike's birthday has come and gone. While Husband and I couldn't make it to his party (prior engagement/work), I think I made up for it by making him Chicken Cordon Bleu on his Hatchday.

I haven't made this for anyone (outside of my Husband) and it was an “inside out version” so I was a bit nervous that I would screw it up. Here is the recipe I decided to try out:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless

4 thin slices prosciutto

1/2 pound Gruyere, grated

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used cracker crumbs as that is what I had in the pantry)

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

Extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 1 slice of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese and spices over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.

Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Cut into pinwheels and serve with vegetables of choice.

You gotta whack it!

A little more meat...

Cheezus.

Tuck and roll!

Transported to the location of eating and baking.

Lightly flour the meat so the egg has something on which to cling.

Dip in egg, oh the humanity!

Roll in crumbs, cuz that is how the cracker crumbles!

Bake the boobs!

Slice and enjoy!

This tasted lovely. the recipe I used suggested that you make Hollandaise sauce to put on top. That might have been a bit to decadent for me, but I think it would have been a very nice addition, especially since I had asparagus on the side. Next time I make this, I will most likely have such a sauce available. All in all, I was very happy with it and it will be made again.

Until the next meal...

**Today's title comes from a rap song By D12 Featuring Eminem. I think this song (esp the title) is really dumb, but I though my title line was the one line that was hilarious.**