Chicken Cordon Bleu

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.

http://www.scoutandcellar.com/whiskawaykitchen

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Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon

Julia Child is one of our biggest cooking icons of all time- the Queen of French Cuisine. Julia Child was a beloved American icon who pioneered an entire genre of cooking shows and taught a generation of food lovers that cooking can be easy and enjoyable.

Still to this day, I love watching her cooking shows and reading her cookbooks. She helped me realize it is okay to make mistakes in the kitchen, that is what makes cooking fun! She lived fearlessly and fully until she passed at 91 years old. 

Here are a few of my favorite Julia quotes

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook—try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun.”

“Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?”

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

“People who love to eat are always the best people.”

“The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen.”

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon is a world wide loved classic for a reason. Tender fall apart chunks of beef simmered in a rich red wine gravy 

This InstantPot recipe is inspired by her famous Beef Bourguignon recipe. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef – beef chuck, round eye or ribeye
• 8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms – 1 package
• 1 large carrot – chopped thick
• 4 large garlic cloves – minced
• 1 medium red onion – diced
• 1 medium yellow onion – diced
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup red wine – Cabernet Sauvignon
• ¼ cup cognac
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• ⅛ tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

Prep work:

Chop baby Bella mushrooms in half and set aside. Chop carrot into pieces that are 1 – 2 inches thick, then slice each piece in half and set aside. 

Mince 4 garlic cloves and chop a tbsp. of thyme, and set aside. 

Chop onions into chunky pieces and set aside.

Cube the beef into large, 2 inch cubes (if your meat is that thick). You want the cubes to be nice and chunky.

Cooking 

Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” on “High.” 

Add 2 tbsp. of butter to the pot and coat the bottom. Place the mushrooms cut-face down. Allow them to brown for 6-8 minutes. Once done, carefully remove them from the pot, and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp. of butter to the pot and add the carrots. Place them flat-side down so they can brown. Just like the mushrooms, allow them to brown on 1 side then remove them from the pot.

Add the onions cut-side down, and allow them to brown for only 5 minutes. 

Add the garlic and thyme to the pot. Stir gently so you don’t break the onions apart too much, and allow to sauté until thoroughly cooked. Remove from the pot and set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, toss meat chunks with 2 tbsp. of flour, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. of pepper until each chunk is thoroughly coated.

Add 1 tbsp. of butter to the pot, allow it to coat the bottom, then add the beef. Brown for 5 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side for 5 more minutes. You may want to do this process in 2 batches if each piece doesn’t sit nicely without overlapping others in the pot. 

Once done, press “Cancel” to stop the Sauté and pour in ¼ cup cognac to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the yumminess on the pot under the meat.

In a bowl mix together 1 cup beef broth with 2 tbsp. tomato paste, 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, ⅛ tsp. smoked paprika, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper.

Add beef broth mixture with 1 cup of wine to the Instant Pot. Add veggies to the pot and give them a gentle stir. Place the lid of the pot on and lock it in place. Set the Instant pot to “Pressure Cook” for 20 minutes on “High.” 

Carefully release the pressure by engaging the pressure valve. While it depressurizes, mix 3 tbsp. flour in ¼ cup of water. When the pot is finished depressurizing, you’ll add this to thicken your stew.

Lift the lid and mix in the flour liquid and give it all a good stir. Give it a taste and see if it could use more salt or pepper. 

Serve with baked mashed potatoes. 

DELICIOUS RATATOUILLE

It’s ratatouille season! 

Ratatouille is a classic summer French style stew, it’s fun to say and even has an adorable Disney movie named after it!

Ratatouille is packed with summer vegetables: tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers and it’s pretty easy to make!

With a little imagination, there are endless ways to serve ratatouille. For Sunday dinner, toss it with pasta or alongside grilled chicken or fish. Or for an easy weeknight dinner, serve with a dollop of goat cheese or with a fried egg on top. It’s even tasty straight from the fridge as a snack (it’s delicious cold)! Seriously the possibilities are limitless! 

For the tomatoes, I love the brand Pomi! They only have one ingredient: TOMATOES! You can find Pomi chopped tomatoes in the canned vegetable aisle. Pomi is usually on the top shelf. 

Looking for wine to pair with Ratatouille? Scout & Cellar 2018 VEINTE MALBEC, Lush and fruit-forward with blueberry, black plum and wildberry jam balanced by mocha on a fresh, well-structured frame with round tannins and a lingering finish. DELICIOUS!

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INGREDIENTS

• 26.46 oz Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
• 14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes, drained
• 1 medium eggplant, diced into cubes
• 1 large red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, cut into ¾ squares
• 2 medium zucchini , diced into ½-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, more to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit 

Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up, if desired.

On one baking sheet, toss the diced eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly coated. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer across the pan, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and set aside.

On the other baking sheet, toss the bell pepper, and zucchini 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer. 

Place the eggplant pan on the middle rack and the other vegetables on the top rack. Set the timer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. 

Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and caramelizing on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the tomatoes, and use a wooden spoon to stir any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low, or as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.

Once 15 minutes are up, remove both pans from the oven, stir, and redistribute the contents of each evenly across the pans. This time, place the eggplant on the top rack and other vegetables on the middle rack.

Bake until the eggplant is nice and golden on the edges, about 10 more minutes (the eggplant will be done sooner than the rest). Remove the eggplant from the oven, and carefully stir the eggplant into the simmering tomato sauce.

Let the zucchini and bell pepper pan continue to bake until the peppers are caramelized, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Then, transfer the contents of the pan into the simmering sauce. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes to give the flavors time to combine.

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon olive oil, the fresh basil, dried orengo and red pepper flakes. 

Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper.

Serve in bowls, with additional chopped basil, or black pepper on top (all optional). 

Like all stews, this ratatouille’s flavor improves as it cools. It’s even better reheated the next day. Ratatouille keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 days, or for several months in the freezer.

http://www.scoutandcellar.com/whiskawaykitchen