Stuffed Chicken Breasts Cordon Bleu

I used to buy Chicken Kiev and Chicken Cordon Bleu thinking that they were great convenience foods because they were tricky to prepare. Not so I realise now, and the small amount of time required to make some from scratch is well worth the effort.

Not only do you get a hugely superior flavour but you also get a much improved main meal dish with a better nutritional profile than the ready-made ones which have high-fat, high-carb and far too much crumb for most bariatric regimens.

I much prefer these days to purchase skinless and boneless chicken breasts (at the size I and my family are likely to eat – and can vary enormously), stuff with lean chopped ham and shredded cheese then coat either with my own protein bread crumbs (see here for my protein bread loaf recipe), crispy panko crumbs or, my latest find, some Lo-Dough Southern Style Coating (see details here).

All produce a fabulous result and when served with salad or fresh vegetables in season, a very well balanced bariatric meal for long-term post-ops.

Nutritional stats will vary according to coating used so the ones below refer to perhaps the easiest to locate – crispy panko crumbs. My own protein bread crumbs add more protein and less carbs and likewise the same holds true for the Lo-Dough Southern Style Coating.

I also sometimes replace some of the crumbs with ground almonds or almond flour to up the protein content – again something else you could consider.

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS CORDON BLEU

Ingredients

METRIC/US

4 x 100 g/4 oz skinless and boneless chicken breasts

50 g/½ cup shredded light cheese (I used light Swiss)

50 g/½ cup chopped cooked ham

2 tbsp melted low-fat butter

25 g/½ cup crispy panko style breadcrumbs or other dried bread crumbs

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 C/375 F/gas 5.
Cut a slit in the side of each chicken breast to make a pocket, about 5 cm/2 inches deep and to within 1 cm/½ inch of the opposite side.
In a small bowl, mix the cheese with the ham and then spoon evenly into the chicken pockets. Press firmly together to enclose the filling in the pockets and secure the openings with wooden toothpicks.
Place the melted butter in a shallow dish and place the crumbs on a large plate. Dip each stuffed chicken breast into the butter to coat and then roll in the crumbs to coat evenly. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle any remaining crumbs over the chicken.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked – the juices from the chicken will run clear (not pink) when pierced at the thickest part with a sharp knife.
Remove the toothpicks before serving with salad or fresh vegetables as liked.