Easy “Cordon Bleu” (Chicken Stuffed with Ham & Cheese) with Grilled Courgettes
Anybody else kind of bored of chicken? I find it such an easy meat to get wrong – it can be dry, bland and dull in many dishes. But it is cheap, easy to prepare, and quick to cook. So it nearly always winds up in our meat box anyway.
The thing is, the more bored I’ve become with chicken, the more I’ve been inspired to find ways to “jazz it up” so that we can still enjoy a cheap, lean meat without it becoming same-y.
We tend to favour the thigh and drumstick meats, which have more flavour, hold more moisture and are cheaper to buy. We make peanut butter chicken curry, super creamy chicken & dumplings, and one-pan chicken & spring veg. There are lots of ways I’ve discovered of making those parts of the chicken taste amazing!
But strangely, chicken breasts (which is what most of us buy more of) are much harder to get right. Chicken piccata remains a favourite in our house, but we have found another way: cordon bleu.
Now, let me guess – you hear cordon bleu, you think “too hard”. It is, for some strange and unknown reason, thought of as a complicated dish. But the truth is, it really isn’t. Particularly if you are making it for your family and aren’t going to be overly fussed if a little cheese leaks out. And, to make it quicker and easier, I’ve taken out some of the steps and ingredients to make this dish eggless and simple. It literally is just chicken stuffed with ham and cheese and pressed into breadcrumbs.
I also tested whether it was worth frying properly in a fair bit of oil, and decided that it tastes just as good browned and crisped up lightly in a smaller amount of oil and then baked to cooked through.
As with a lot of simple home cooking, this dish is pretty forgiving. Some cheese leaks out and you feel there isn’t enough in the chicken? Grate a little more for the centre and return to the oven for a few more mins (not too long so it doesn’t dry out). Don’t have chicken? Turkey is the original for this recipe in France, so you can use turkey breasts instead if you prefer. Eating low carb or gluten free? Replace the breadcrumbs with gluten free crumbs or ground almonds.
And what to serve it with is up to you, but I love it served with grilled courgettes (zucchini) with sliced chilli and some salad leaves with a drizzle of olive oil. Since the chicken is pretty rich, decadent and filling, serving it with veggies and light sides is ideal. You could slice them, serve on a bed of lettuce, chopped cucumber, tomatoes and red onion and call it a salad. You could mash some sweet potatoes and steam some broccoli. You could cook a small amount of wholemeal couscous, cauli-rice or quinoa and toss with plenty of chopped herbs (mint & parsley), fresh lemon juice, pitted olives, fresh chopped tomatoes and cucumber and call it a tabbouleh.
However you serve it, I can promise you one thing: it won’t taste dry, bland or boring. It will be soft, delicious, decadent and flavoursome.
An easy take on a French classic, this indulgent way of cooking chicken makes it decadent and flavoursome and pairs perfectly with light spring vegetables or salad for a weeknight supper.
- 2 large (ideally organic or at least free-range) chicken breasts
- 4 thin slices of Cheddar or similar hard cheese
- 4 thin slices of off-the-bone (ideally free-range) ham or pork loin
- 100 g (1 cup) breadcrumbs (ideally wholemeal - make your own by blitzing slices of wholemeal bread in a food processor) seasoned with salt & pepper and 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp olive or coconut oil
- 1 bag fresh spinach, optional
- 2 courgettes (zucchini), thinly sliced lengthways into strips
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
- 1 red chilli, de-seeded and sliced (leave seeds in if you like spicy food)
- mixed salad leaves, to serve (optional)
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Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas 5. Slice the chicken lengthways to get 4 slices. Top with cling film or baking paper and use a rolling pin to roll or bash them as thin as possible. Top half of each chicken breast with ham and cheese, then fold over and press firmly together. Press into the seasoned breadcrumbs until covered, then roll over them again with the rolling pin to seal them shut.
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Fry for 2 mins on either side in a large frying pan set over medium heat in 1 tbsp of olive or coconut oil, until golden and crispy. If the frying pan is oven proof, move it to the oven. If not, transfer the chicken to a roasting dish and place in the oven. Cook the chicken breasts for another 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted.
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While the chicken is cooking, heat the grill (broiler) to High and lay the sliced courgettes on some tin foil, then grill for 3-4 mins until charred. Brush or drizzle them with a little extra virgin olive oil, season and sprinkle with sliced red chilli, if using.
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Serve the cordon bleu with the grilled courgettes and some mixed salad leaves.
