Chicken Cordon Bleu with Mushroom Sauce

Assalamualaikum

Winter break is coming to an end! Although I was a bit upset with the change of plans however, it might be for the best Insha’Allah. Nonetheless I had fun during this break. I had a chance to experiment a bit in the kitchen which is always a plus. Also, my sewing machine finally got to see the sunlight after being in its box for months!

Munie’s visit was a blast! We tried food at places we never tried before, we made our (mine at least) first snow man and danced to country music on New Year’s Eve. That definitely made up my cancelled trips!=)

Even before she came, I asked her if she had any food requests. One thing I know for sure, my friends could eat ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. So I decided awhile ago that I would make her Chicken Cordon Bleu.  But in my case it wasn't THE perfect Cordon Blue. Why? Because this clumsy cat lady forgot/decided not to get chicken slices when she was at the grocery store. =.=’ Why oh Why?! But still, it was a delicious meal! Instead of using Swiss cheese, I decided to get smoke Gouda cheese. It’s delicious I tell ya. A great choice indeed. Try putting it on a piece of toast and top it with slices of apples. Good-Golly! It makes a great Grilled Apple Cheese Sandwich too!*drools* As usual, food always excites me .Moving on…

For the Chicken Cordon Blue, I mixed and matched different recipes depending on the ingredients I had on hand and the techniques that I preferred. The only thing that wasn't working for me was the baking time. Mine was slightly dry. Also, instead of buying breadcrumbs; I decided to make my own which, in my opinion, tasted soo much better compared to the ones sold in the grocery store.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

For 2

2 chicken breasts, butterfly cut

A few slices of cheese of your choice, I used smoked Gouda

1/2 -3/4 cup of breadcrumbs

1/2 cup of flour

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of butter

Oil 

Dried parsley (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degree Fahrenheit
2. To prep the chicken, wash it thoroughly, butterfly it. On a sturdy surface, place the chicken and cover it with plastic. Using a meat pounder (in my case, a heavy rolling pin) , pound them until they are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in width.
3. Spray an oven safe dish with oil and put aside.
4. Have the breadcrumbs, flour and beaten egg ready.
5. Spread the chicken breast on a clean surface, season generously with salt, pepper and  garlic powder.
6. Put the cheese slices (also cooked meat slices if you have any) on top of the seasonings.
7. Roll the chicken tightly and neatly and secure the roll with a toothpick
8. Cover the rolled chicken with flour, then egg and lastly the breadcrumbs.
9. Garnish with some dried parsley.
10. Place the chicken breasts on the baking dish. Spray some more oil and dollop some butter on top of each piece.
11. Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes.

The baking time really depends on the thickness of the chicken breast. Since mine was overcooked and a bit dry (I baked it for 35 minutes), I decided to make mushroom sauce as well.=)

Mushroom Sauce

1/4 cup of sliced mushroom

1 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon of flour

1/2 cup of milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1. On a medium heat, melt butter and sauté the mushrooms until they soften.
2. Add flour and mix until a paste forms.
3. Mix in the milk, salt and pepper. Continue mixing until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. (1-3 minutes)

 

 

 Who knew?!It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Definitely worth a try! Go ahead and WOW someone. Oh! If you were wondering, I served this dish with garlic mashed potatoes on the side. Munie sure liked it, I’m sure you’ll too!=)

Classes start in 2 days time. I.AM.NOT.READY! rawr.

Whoever said that they love winter and the snow, perhaps have never set foot on North America during snow storms. Like really. Like whatever.*flips hijab*

Till then, Wasalam,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni