Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ignore my messy kitchen table in the background. 

Usually I have a little trouble with meats (unless it's basic grilled chicken or spare ribs), mainly due to fear of giving myself food poisoning. And since I'm usually only feeding myself...oh well. Here, however, I managed to successfully cook it to its full delicious potential. Mom was surprised to hear I made this since I'm not a big ham person...but I'm ok with it cooked into things. I also managed to set off my fire alarm making this. Twice. It's really sensitive, even when NOTHING IS BURNING. Ugh. Awkward. Good thing I don't know most of my neighbors. Another note: remember to remove the toothpicks before eating. Don't ask why I know what an essential step this is.

Ingredients:

(Adapted from skinnytaste.com 's recipe)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (really however many you want)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of egg whites
• 1 tbsp of water
• Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 6 slices deli-sliced ham (I got the cheapest sale one, naturally)
• 6 slices/7-8 oz. Swiss cheese, sliced (You can buy them sliced, or get it cheaper in a block and slice it yourself, as I did. Definitely would have been easier if pre-sliced)
• toothpicks (don't eat them though)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice chicken breasts into VERY THIN cutlets. Pound them to make them even thinner, if you didn't cut thin enough. I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THINNESS ENOUGH. It really helps with the rolling later.

Most of these were honestly wayyy too thick

• Spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil.
• Cut each piece of cheese into squares/rectangles (so it nicely fits on chicken cutlet). Place on chicken cutlet.

• Place layer of ham, then another layer of cheese on top.

But more neatly than this, it was my first one

• Here comes the tough part: rolling the chicken. Pick an end and roll with it (as tightly as you can) (pun intended). Secure with a toothpick or 4, depending on if you made it too thick, as I did several times.
• Repeat with rest of cutlets.

Yea...some are nicer than others

One of two actually successful and pretty ones

Look at that beauty

• Whisk eggs/egg whites and water to make an egg wash. 

No worries, the funfetti in the background will be used soon

• Dip chicken cutlet rolls into egg wash, then bread crumbs.

• Bake in oven 25-30 minutes.
• Turn on the broiler for ~3 minutes to brown bread crumbs a bit. (This is how I set off the fire alarm the first time. Opened the broiler and whatever heat it emanated angered the fire alarm. Second fire alarm was set off b/c while trying to fan the alarm the first time, I left the chicken in for another minute or two, and got it a little charcoaled. Alarm #2 goes off b/c of this. This is my life)

See, they're not even that browned!!

• Remove toothpicks before eating, and serve!

Prep: 25 minutes

Yield: As many chicken cutlets as you made.

I served it with a side of my tri-color rotini pasta salad.

I also had leftover egg wash & breadcrumbs & poorly cut chicken cutlets, so I used them to make just regular breaded chicken cutlets: recipe here.