Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (how many depends on how many folks you're feeding, of course)
1-2 thin slices of smoked ham per chicken breast
1 slice of provolone or swiss cheese per chicken breast
Parmesan Panko Bread Crumbs (I buy these at Kroger, I'm sure you could find them other places)
Flour
Butter
1 egg lightly beaten in a bowl
What ya gotta do:
Preheat your oven to 400. Throw some butter in a skillet and turn it on low so that it can be melting while you're assembling the chicken. Begin by "butterfly-ing" the chicken breasts. In other words, slice almost all the way through the middle of the chicken so that it opens up like butterfly wings. Tuck ham and cheese into the butterfly and then close. Crank up the heat on your skillet of melted butter to medium (you'll need it soon). Then dip the chicken in the egg, roll in flour, dip in egg again, and roll in panko bread crumbs. Toss that bad boy into your skillet and brown on both sides (approx 4-5 mins per side.) Transfer the chicken breasts from skillet to baking dish and bake for about 30-40 minutes until chicken is done and juices run clear. Serve hot!
I served this with baked potatoes and green beans on REAL glass plates with REAL silverware on an average Thursday night. Because sometimes you just feel like eating something with a classy French name. "Cordon Bleu" is French for 'blue ribbon'. The Cordon Bleu was the highest order of chivalry under the Bourbon kings. It has since been used for other first-class distinctions. The term has migrated into the language as a figurative acclamation rather than actual decoration for high quality, especially for chefs.
