2020 Chicken Challenge: Favorites - Freezer Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I'm going to do an occasional post under the "Favorites" category to go along with this challenge.   These are some of my tried and true chicken recipes that I make over and over again.

So.    I love to cook.....except when I don't.

Hence my obsession with making freezer meals.   For the last year and a half, I've been experimenting quite a bit with them, and they've really become our standard of eating on most weeknights.   The concept is simple - do some level of prep (sometimes as simple as just portioning and seasoning, other recipes you cook all the way through) in multiple portions, then freeze, so that you have dinner started another night.

I realized I could make and freeze chicken cordon bleu when I saw this recipe on HappyMoneySaver, which is my go-to website for all things freezer meal related - sooo much wonderful information and recipes.   I also have her book, "Seriously Good Freezer Meals", which has been invaluable in learning how to make freezer meals.    I did change up the recipe, as I tend to do, to suit my own tastes.

Chicken cordon bleu, with it's delicious ham and cheese filling, freezes beautifully, as well as being easy to prepare in bulk (bulk being relative - we are a family of 2).    I thaw them overnight in the fridge and simply bake for dinner.  (Spoiler alert - I use the same base recipe but change it up to make a variety of stuffed chicken options - you'll be seeing others in the future)

I typically use boneless skinless chicken thighs as cutlets because we prefer moist, flavorful dark meat chicken - they are also better sized for one serving than most chicken breasts anymore.     I use poultry shears to trim the excess fat off the thighs, then spread the thigh out in between parchment paper and whack it a few times with a meat mallet to thin out the cutlet.    Yes, you can trim down chicken breasts and use those as well for this recipe if you prefer.

Makes 8.    

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and pounded out into cutlets (or chicken breast cutlets if you prefer). 

For the filling:

8 slices deli ham (look for larger slices)

1 egg, beaten

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces shredded gruyere and swiss cheese (I use a pre-shredded bag from Aldi)

2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard 

Salt and pepper to taste

For breading:

½ cup all purpose flour, mixed with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper

1 ½ cups seasoned dry breadcrumbs  (Panko or regular)

2 eggs beaten with 2 Tablespoons water

Mix together the cream cheese, shredded cheeses, and Dijon mustard until well blended – taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.   Blend in the beaten egg.

Lay out a slice of ham and form 1/6^th of the filling into a log on top of the slice, then roll up.   Wrap the cheese filled ham with a thigh cutlet.   Repeat.   You know the drill.

If I have time, I prefer to par-freeze the chicken at this point for about an hour on a sheet pan so it holds together a little better for breading.   Sometimes that happens...sometimes not.

Dredge the stuffed chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg wash.   Roll in the breadcrumbs.      

Set the breaded chicken  - seam side down - on a sheet pan either lined with parchment or foil and spritzed with cooking spray.

To make as a freezer meal:    Put the whole sheet pan in the freezer for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is firm.   Bag up what you need for 1 meal into either a freezer bag, squeezing as much air out as possible, or into a vac seal bag (my preference).    Make sure to date and label your bags - it's also helpful to write the finishing instructions on the bag.

Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.

To cook:   Preheat oven to 400F.    Spray the pan with cooking spray.   Drizzle each stuffed chicken with a little olive oil.   Bake 40-50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, and serve.

It's inevitable that some of the filling will sploodge out of the chicken, but the egg in the filling holds it together to some extent.   

Overall Rating:  9 out of 10.   These are sooo tasty - I love the blend of melty cheeses, the ham, the hint of dijon, the juicy chicken.    These are always a treat to have on a weeknight because they certainly don't taste like they were "simple" or "quick".

Ease of Preparation:   7 out of 10.    Prep takes a little time - trimming the chicken, making the filling, assembling.   Doing a breading set up is always a bit messy to clean up.    On the plus side, it's not a whole lot of extra work to make more of these for another time.    These make for an exceptionally easy dinner when used as a freezer meal - just thaw and bake.

Will It Freezer Meal?   ABSOLUTELY.   These are among my favorite things to make into freezer meals and I almost always have some on hand.   I make a variety of stuffed chicken as freezer meals and will share some other recipes in the future.