How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu

If you're tired of the same old chicken recipes and looking to make something a little more elegant for dinner, chicken cordon bleu is a good choice. Made with ham, Swiss cheese and boneless chicken breast, the recipe takes a little more preparation than a chicken casserole, but adds a little class to your dinner table.

Things You'll Need

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 thinly sliced pieces of ham
• 9 slices Swiss cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dry breadcrumbs
• Casserole dish
• Toothpicks
• Waxed or parchment paper
• Meat hammer

Instructions

1. Cover your counter or tabletop with waxed paper or parchment paper. Place the chicken breasts in the center of the paper and pound with the meat hammer until they are approximately 1/2 to 1 inch thick. The thinner you make the breasts, the better, though if the meat starts to rip, stop pounding it.

2. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them so the ragged side -- the one that has been pounded -- is facing up.

3. Place a thin slice of ham on each chicken breast and cover with a slice of Swiss cheese. Don't worry if the ham and cheese are a bit larger than the chicken, since you will be rolling them up.

4. Start at one end of each chicken breast and roll it up slowly so that the ham and cheese are inside the chicken. Alternatively, you can fold the chicken breast in half. The goal is to have the chicken, ham and cheese layered. This is the hallmark look of chicken cordon bleu.

5. Secure the rolled meat with a toothpick and line the breasts up in a slightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle each breast with dry breadcrumbs.

6. Cook at 375 degrees F. At about five minutes into the cooking time, check to see whether the rolls can maintain their shape without the assistance of the toothpicks. If so, remove them so the toothpicks won't scorch. If not, check again in a few minutes.

7. Let the meat cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove the dish from the oven and cover each chicken breast with a half-slice of Swiss cheese.

8. Return the chicken cordon bleu to the oven and cook until the top layer of Swiss cheese is bubbling.

Tips & Warnings

• You might be able to purchase very thin chicken breast at your grocery store, saving you the time and effort of pounding them thin.