Simple Hen Cordon Bleu Recipe

Learn to make hen sous-chef utilizing these straightforward step-by-step directions! Ham and cheese stuffed hen breasts are breaded in panko and then baked till crisp. It’s deceptively straightforward to make and positive to impress.

When you love stuffed hen breast, hen sous-chef needs to be subsequent in your listing.

Coming from a half-European background, sous-chef was one among our dinnertime staples. My sister and I’d at all times request this dish, and why not? It combines all our favourite issues in one- hen, cheese, ham, and a creamy sauce!

Now, conventional hen sous-chef recipes contain frying the hen, however we do issues a bit of in another way. My baked model is barely lighter however doesn’t sacrifice the golden crust or tender hen. It’s simply as scrumptious because the traditional, particularly when topped with the creamy Dijon sous-chef sauce.

Desk of Contents

1. Why this recipe works
2. Elements wanted
3. The right way to make hen sous-chef
4. Recipe ideas and tips
5. Variations 
6. What to serve with this dish
7. Storage directions
8. Extra breaded hen recipes
9. Often requested questions 
10. Hen Cordon Bleu

Why this recipe works

• Low upkeep, but flavorful. Baking the stuffed hen till it’s crisp and juicy cuts down on the mess whereas the Dijon cream sauce on high provides a ton of scrumptious taste. 
• Quick listing of easy components. Regardless of feeling like a elaborate French dish, this recipe is made with easy and easy-to-find components.
• It’s versatile. Baked hen sous-chef is simple to make for meal prep or for weeknight dinners. Nonetheless, it additionally feels elegant sufficient to impress friends at dinner events and holidays!

Elements wanted

All of those components are near what you’d discover within the conventional time-honored hen dish. Right here’s the whole lot you want: 

• Hen. Use massive, boneless, and skinless hen breasts. If frozen, allow them to thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than utilizing. 
• Ham. You need to use any thinly sliced deli ham, together with black forest, Virginia, honey-roasted, capicola, and so on. 
• Swiss cheese. Use deli-sliced Swiss cheese if attainable as a result of cheese from pre-sliced packages doesn’t soften as properly. You can even use Swiss cheese shredded immediately from the block. 
• Panko bread crumbs. For a lightweight coating and most crunch! You may substitute panko for plain or Italian-seasoned common bread crumbs.
• Parmesan cheese. For a tacky and salty taste within the breadcrumb coating. 
• Italian seasoning. Use a pre-mixed mix or make your individual.
• Eggs. Dipping the sous-chef logs in egg wash provides the bread crumbs a moist floor to cling to and helps the crust flip golden within the oven.

For the Dijon cream sauce:

• Butter. Provides taste and works with the flour as a thickening roux. 
• Flour. To assist thicken the sauce.  
• Heavy cream. That is the bottom of normal cream sauce. It makes it additional wealthy and creamy. 
• Dijon mustard. For a contact of tang! When you don’t have dijon, complete grain or spicy brown mustard will work in a pinch.
• Salt and black pepper. For taste. 

The right way to make hen sous-chef

Arrange the breading stations. Assemble the breading stations. Stir the panko bread crumbs, parmesan, and Italian seasonings in a bowl. In a separate bowl, crack the eggs and beat till easy. 

Pound the hen breasts. Lay a bit of plastic wrap on a flat floor and place a hen breast on high. Cowl with one other piece of plastic. Pound the hen into a skinny and even thickness utilizing a meat tenderizer or rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining hen.

Stuff, bread, and roll. Take away the highest piece of plastic from the pounded hen. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese on high.

Roll up the hen breast to kind a log form.

Unwrap the rolled hen from the plastic and dip it within the egg, adopted by the bread crumb-parmesan combination. Place it on the ready baking sheet seam facet down and repeat with the opposite hen breasts.

Bake. Bake the hen sous-chef within the oven till the hen is cooked via and the breading is golden. 

Make Dijon cream sauce. Whereas the hen is baking, soften the butter in a small saucepan over medium warmth. Whisk within the flour, then slowly add the heavy cream. Convey the combination to a simmer. Whisk within the mustard, salt, and pepper, and gently simmer till it thickens.

Relaxation, slice, and serve. Let the baked hen relaxation for five minutes out of the oven. Plate every hen breast, drizzle some Dijon cream sauce excessive, then get pleasure from!

Recipe ideas and tips

Keep away from over-pounding the hen. Take your time pounding every hen breast to an excellent ¼ inch thickness, however don’t go overboard. You need to whack the hen firmly, however not with a lot pressure that the items disintegrate. When you’re new to pounding hen, strive hen cutlets.

Use toothpicks. Are the rolled and stuffed hen breasts unraveling? You may safe them with a toothpick or two. Simply bear in mind to take away them earlier than serving!

Relaxation the hen logs. You probably have additional time, place the plastic-wrapped logs of stuffed hen within the fridge for 15 to half-hour. This makes it simpler for the logs to carry their form throughout breading and baking. 

Keep away from overcooking. To forestall the hen from overcooking, use a meat thermometer and cook dinner till the interior temperature reaches 165°F (or a couple of levels much less because the temperature will rise an extra 2 to three levels whereas the hen rests). 

Variations 

Be at liberty to combine and match the filling components with different forms of cheese, sliced meats, or sauces: 

Cheese: Swiss is commonplace, however that doesn’t imply it’s your solely choice. Strive sharp cheddar, white cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, gruyere, gouda, or fontina cheese as an alternative. 

Meat filling: As an alternative of sliced ham, roll the hen and cheese up with prosciutto or pancetta. Bacon or turkey bacon can be an choice.

Ending sauce: As an alternative of Dijon cream sauce, strive drizzling the baked hen with honey mustard sauce, mushroom cream sauce, or some other thick, creamy, and flavorful sauce. 

What to serve with this dish

This traditional tacky stuffed hen pairs effectively with virtually any facet. For a well-balanced and full meal, pair every hen sous-chef with scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower, inexperienced veggies like broccoli, asparagus, or brussels sprouts, and flavor-forward salads like this Inexperienced Goddess Salad and this Wholesome Greek Couscous Salad.

Storage directions

Make forward: You may pound, stuff, and bread the hen as much as 1 day upfront. Maintain the hen coated within the fridge in a single day. The following day, set it out at room temperature for about 10 minutes earlier than baking as instructed. 

To retailer: Let the leftovers cool utterly, then retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

To freeze: This recipe freezes finest earlier than baking, making it a wonderful make-ahead meal. First, prep the hen up till it’s coated in panko. Freeze it in a freezer-safe container or wrap it individually in plastic for two to three months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than baking. 

Reheating: Reheat the leftover hen within the oven or air fryer at 350°F till warmed via. 

Extra breaded hen recipes

Often requested questions