Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu
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Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu is a fabulous low fat version of the original, and the flavor is spot on! You’ll love this easy chicken dinner!
Well again, here we are on the lighter side of cooking. After a fun spring of baking my heart out, I am ready to lighten things up a bit. I decided to start with a regular in my kitchen, chicken. I love chicken and am always looking for ways to dress it up. I have been experimenting with lighter flavorful versions of Chicken Cordon Bleu. The winning dish above is served with Spicy Brown Rice.
Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu
The purpose of this test is to come up with the most flavorful healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu possible, and texture is a huge component of this dish.
I would also like to flavor test which tastes better, lean ham or turkey bacon. Lastly, for texture: does Laughing Cow cheese give a creamy enough texture? Does using an egg wash make a difference on the texture of the breading?
This test run is using Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss and Garlic & Herb. I tried using left overs from lean ham steaks that I cut into circles for a fun snack, and turkey bacon (again something else I had in my fridge that sounded interesting). Lastly, I tested the differences using an egg wash and not using an egg wash.
I started with 5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast, with a goal to use 1/2 pound for each version. Here are my fabulous results!
Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu Variations
Batch 1
Batch #1 was done using Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese. Half of batch #1 is stuffed with lean ham – we will call this batch #1a, the other half with turkey bacon (I love Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon for this), also all of batch #1 WILL NOT have an egg wash used – we will call this batch #1b.
Batch 2
This batch was done using Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb cheese. Half of batch #2 is stuffed with lean ham – we will call this batch #2a, the other half with turkey bacon (I love Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon for this). Also, all of batch #2 WILL have an egg wash used – we will call this batch #2b.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment or a Silpat. In a medium bowl combine bread crumbs and seasonings, set bowl aside.
- Cut chicken breasts into approximately 4 ounce portions. Chicken breasts being so huge these days, I cut most breasts in half.
- Place a piece of cling wrap on your cutting board to help keep your board clean. Place another piece of cling wrap on top of your chicken. Using a mallet, pound them to about 1/4 thick. Note: You can also butterfly chicken and then pound it out. That would be my option for the next time I make it.
- After all chicken breasts are done. Place a slice of ham or 2 half slices of turkey bacon on top of the chicken.
- Top with cheese and wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using plain toothpicks to secure. (Make sure there are no holes so your cheese doesn’t leak out). Season with a little salt.
Batch #1 is going straight into the breadcrumb mixture, batch #2 will get the egg wash. Batch #1 was rolled in the breadcrumb mixture. Press bread crumbs onto chicken to get a good coating. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.
Batch #2 is getting an egg wash then the bread crumb mixture. In a medium bowl crack eggs and add water, whisk to combine. Dip chicken in egg wash, then roll into bread crumb mixture. Press bread crumbs onto chicken to get a good coating. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.
Lightly mist all chicken with olive oil, I did this using my favorite kitchen gadget this week, a Misto olive oil sprayer! The olive oil misting will help to give the bread crumb coating a great crispy texture and also aids in locking in the juices.
Put chicken in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
First, lets address the egg wash vs. NO egg wash. Batch #2 had a much crispier texture. Batch #1, was NOT a winner in the external texture category.
NOTE: Use egg wash!
Batch #1a – with the ham and Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss and no egg wash, the ham was difficult to cut through due to the thickness of the ham steak. The cheese was creamy and light. Very nice flavor. I would use regular thin sliced ham next time. The outside was virtually dry. Kind of like moist bread crumbs. No crunch.
Batch #1b with the turkey bacon and Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese – no egg wash. Very good flavor, nice to cut into. Delicious combination. The turkey gives a nice smoky flavor. Again, the outside was just about dry. Kind of like moist bread crumbs. No crunch.
Batch #2a with the ham and Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb, with an egg wash. Again the ham was thick and tougher to cut. The cheese was creamy, light and flavorful. The texture of the breading was lovely! Definitely use thin ham slices next time.
Batch #2b with turkey bacon and Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb, with an egg wash. This chicken was lovely to cut into, it sliced cleanly and looks beautiful. You can see the juice glistening on the chicken. The texture of the chicken is perfect! The cheese is so creamy and flavorful! The smokiness of the bacon and the spices in the garlic & herb cheese are a wonderful combination. The contrast of the creamy cheese and the crunch of the breading is just delightful.
WINNER: The healthy chicken cordon bleu has a beautiful presentation!
It is lovely to cut into, it sliced cleanly and looks like something you would order in a restaurant . You can see the juice glistening on the chicken. The aroma is heavenly. The texture of the chicken is perfect! The cheese is so creamy (like warm cream cheese) and flavorful! The smokiness of the bacon and the spices in the garlic & herb cheese are a wonderful combination. The contrast of the creamy cheese and the crunch of the breading is just delightful. Definitely going in my recipe file. A treat for your senses!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, 4 ounces each
- 4 slices turkey bacon
- 4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb cheese
- kosher salt
- 3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment or a Silpat. In a medium bowl combine bread crumbs and seasoning mix, set bowl aside.
- Cut chicken breasts into approximately 4 ounce portions. Place a piece of cling wrap on your cutting board to help keep your board clean. Place another piece of cling wrap on top of your chicken. Using a mallet, pound them to about 1/4 thick. Note: You can also butterfly chicken and then pound it out.
- After all chicken breasts are done. Place 2 half pieces of turkey bacon to make a plus sign. on top of the chicken, place the cheese wedge on top and wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using toothpicks to secure. (Make sure there are no holes so your cheese doesn’t leak out). Season with a little salt.
- In a medium bowl crack eggs and add water, whisk to combine. Dip chicken in egg wash, then roll into bread crumb mixture. Press bread crumbs onto chicken to get a good coating. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.
- Lightly mist all chicken with olive oil spray. Put chicken in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes and remove toothpicks before serving.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published June 2011.
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I commented earlier, but apparently Blogger ate my post. I'm glad your chicken turned out so well. 5 lbs of chicken? That is a LOT of meals taken care of for the week. Way to go, girl. I freeze my LC chicken leftovers. Have you tried freezing these?
I have they freeze well. I have most of it in the freezer. Just enough for 2 meals in the fridge.
Great post! This looks delicious…I'll have to try it!
I have always loved cordon blue and this was such a great healthy version of it. My family all loved it, and we will be having it as a repeat dish!