How to Make Healthy Low-Fat Chicken Cordon Bleu

Before cooking, flatten the chicken breast.

Love chicken cordon bleu, but don't love the fat and calories? Prepare a version that is delicious and better for your health.

Things You'll Need

• Chicken breast
• Deli ham
• Mozzarella string cheese
• Your favorite chicken coating (Italian or plain bread crumbs, panko or cornflakes)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Flatten your chicken breast. Put the breast in a plastic bag, and pound it with the flat end of a meat tenderizer. If you don't have a meat tenderizer you can use another heavy object in your kitchen, such as a rolling pin or the side of a large can of food.

3. Roll a stick of mozzarella string cheese in a slice or two of deli ham. Depending on the size of your chicken breast you may need to cut it a bit to fit.

4. Place the cheese/ham roll in the middle of the chicken breast and fold chicken over top. Secure chicken together with toothpicks, threading toothpicks through the top and bottom layers.

5. Roll in your preferred coating for chicken breasts.

6. Place in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until the thickest part of the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees, usually 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also cut a slit in the side of the chicken breast and slide the ham and cheese roll in, but it is more difficult to cover the roll completely on the thin end. Flattening it gives a more uniform look.

• Be sure to use enough toothpicks to get a good seal of the top and bottom layers. This prevents the cheese from melting out during baking.

References

• Cooking Light: Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
• Diabetic Gourmet: Chicken Cordon Bleu