Brian and I love cooking Julia Child’s recipes. Her recipes are simple and easy to follow with fresh ingredients! One of our favorites is her Chicken Cordon Bleu. We actually just made it for his mom for dinner!
This Chicken Cordon Bleu is delicious with layers of tender chicken, Gruyère cheese, prosciutto, ham, and mornay sauce! It’s a dinner you will dream about!
Seriously stop what you’re doing right now, and grab what you need to make this amazingly delicious chicken cordon bleu!. Not only will this easy chicken recipe make everyone come running for dinner, but it will also leave them wanting seconds or even thirds.
While I love all parts of chicken cordon bleu, I’ll have to say, the mornay sauce is to die for! Mornay sauce is a classic béchamel sauce (one of the five French mother sauces) enriched with cheese and Parmesan. Trust me you will want to make this sauce to spoon over just about anything. And you easily switch out the cheeses to whatever your heart desires!
Grab a glass of Scout and Cellar Gallivant Chardonnay and let’s go have some fun in the kitchen! Like Julia says ““The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen.”
INGREDIENTS
- 2 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 2 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest Ham
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese
- Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Mornay Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 cup coarsely grated Swiss cheese
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
Instructions
Wash the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Cover them with a second sheet of paper or wrap and, with a flat (not textured) mallet, lightly beat them until flattened to a uniform thinness of less than 1/4 inch. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 315F.
Grab three bowls… Beat egg into one bowl. Spread the crumbs on a second bowl.
Spread the flour in the third bowl.
Lay the chicken pieces on a flat work surface skinned side down. Lightly spread the inside of each thigh with a little mustard (don’t use too much or the mustard will overpower the other flavors).
Stack one slide of prosciutto, then 2 slices of cheese and a slice of ham in the center of each. Roll the thigh, making sure that the filling is completely encased.
Roll the chicken first in the flour, shake off the excess, and dip each thigh in the egg, allowing the excess to flow back into the bowl.
Lay it in the crumbs. Roll it, patting the crumbs into all sides. When the piece is coated, lay it on a clean, dry plate and repeat until all the pieces are breaded. Set aside for at least half an hour to allow the breading to set.
Fill a deep Dutch oven or frying pan, with enough oil to come halfway up the sides. Over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 375°F (hot but not smoking). Add the chicken and fry until golden brown, place on a sheet pan and palace in the oven until thighs reach an internal temperature of 165F.
Mornay Sauce
In a small saucepan, heat to just a boil, while stirring, the 2 cups of milk and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remove from heat and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, over low heat. Blend in the flour and cook slowly, stirring continuously until “the butter and flour froth together for 2 minutes without coloring,” thus creating a roux. (Julka tip!)
Remove from heat. As soon as it stops bubbling, pour in your hot milk all at once. Immediately start beating with a whisk. Make sure you gather all of the roux from the sides, bottom and edges of the pan.
Return to a low heat and stir until the sauce comes to a boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and beat in salt and pepper to taste.
Beat in the cheese until they have melted and are well blended into the sauce.
Season with nutmeg, cayenne and salt and pepper. Stir in the butter until melted and blended.
Pour over chicken and serve immediately.
Whisk Away Kitchen 