Chicken Cordon Bleu

Fun fact:  Despite its French name, Chicken Cordon Bleu is an American creation, first referenced in the New York Times in 1967.   'Cordon Bleu' means 'Blue Ribbon'   So this chicken dish is named 'Blue Ribbon Chicken.'

Jeremy and I really liked it.  Sure, I'd give it a blue ribbon. :)   I used Gruyère cheese as a special treat, but you could substitute regular ol' Swiss cheese.  I used ham because I already had some in my fridge that I wanted to use.  Next time, I'd use a thinner cut of chicken breast because no matter how much I pounded that chicken, it wasn't going to be 1/4" thickness.  I settled for 1/2".  Also, I could have added 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter to the bread crumb mixture to give it better browning in the oven.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
4 thin slices prosciutto or ham
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
1/4 cup flour
1 large egg
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Directions:
Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  Using a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to a uniform 1/4" thickness.  Remove wrap.  Place ham over the top to cover the breast.  Next, sprinkle each breast with the grated cheese.  Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight.  Secure with toothpicks.

Shallow bowl 1: Dump some flour. 
Shallow bowl 2: Break an egg into bowl and beat with fork until smooth.
Shallow bowl 3: Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip into the egg mixture, and then coat with the bread crumbs.  Place the chicken on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked.