Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu

My apologies in advance for not having a picture of this wonderful, easy, elegant dish prepared last night by my son.  I'll gladly handle clean-up duty when the reward is something this yummy.

Classic chicken cordon bleu has the ham and cheese rolled inside the chicken breast.  This dish had the ham and cheese on the outside, which made the dish a little more interesting.

Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu (4 servings)

2 whole boneless chicken breasts or 4 single breast halves.

2 eggs 

seasoned bread crumbs

flour

8 slices black forest ham

8 slices swiss cheese

salt

pepper

toothpicks

oil for frying

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

If using whole breasts divide in two before proceeding. Butterfly each half breast.  Place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness, approximately 1/4 inch.  Be careful not to tear the meat.

Place one or two slices of swiss on each breast, and cover with the ham.  Whether you use one or two slices will depend on the dimensions of your ham and cheese slices.  There should be a single layer of cheese followed by the ham covering most of each breast.  Roll the breasts with the ham and cheese on the outside. Secure with toothpicks.

Set-up a breading station.  Place flour, bread crumbs, and the eggs in three separate bowls. Add salt and pepper to the seasoned bread crumbs to taste.  Scramble the eggs.  Bread the chicken rolls by first covering with flour, then egg, and lastly with the seasoned bread crumbs.

In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil on medium high.  The oil should be approximately 1/4 inch deep.  Place the chicken rolls in the skillet without crowding.  If the skillet is not large enough, then brown the chicken in two batches. Brown the chicken rolls on all sides, so the breading is crisp.  

Spray with olive oil or Pam, a baking dish large enough to hold without crowding the four rolled chicken breasts.   Place the browned chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered in the oven for  20 minutes.

Bread Crumb Coated Mustard Pork Chops - the fastest weeknight dinner

I'm not a natural at making pork chops.  My mother made them frequently when I was growing-up.  Dry, tough, flavorless - the only redeeming part of the meal was the stuffing which she usually made as an accompaniment.  My husband prefers not to eat pork, so in deference to his tastes pork chops were banished from my diet for the first 15 years of our marriage.

Times and needs change.  Our son is now a teenager, and always searching for large amounts of protein.  Chicken gets boring and frequent beef isn't a heart healthy alternative so now, when my husband is traveling or out for dinner, pork chops are on the menu.  I've been learning on the job when it comes to pork, asking friends for recipes, searching the on-line food sites.  My greatest success will not be a new dish for most of you, but with this recipe I finally made a great pork chop:  juicy and flavorful.

Bread Crumb Coated Mustard Pork Chops (serves 4)

4 center cut boneless chops, appx. 1/2 inch thick

2 Tbsp. brown mustard or mustard of your choice

1 egg

fresh bread crumbs or panko, seasoned with salt & pepper

2 tbsps. olive oil for frying

Scramble the egg combined with the mustard.  Dip each chop in the egg/mustard mixture, then the into the seasoned bread crumbs.  Using a non-stick skillet, heat 2 tbsps olive oil, add chops, and cook until crisp and cooked through, approximately 4 minutes per side.