Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 servings

ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices, thinly sliced ham
4 slices, Swiss Cheese
4 slices, Monterey Jack Cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Seasoning mix:
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp thyme
1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (or make your own and season yourself)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly season the chicken breasts with seasoning mix.  Place a chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/8-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 1 slice of ham over the top to cover the breast and then one slice of each type of cheese (fold into quarters). Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight inside the plastic wrap. Twist both ends of the plastic wrap tightly to form a nice tidy cylinder. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Line up three medium bowls. In the first, place the seasoned flour, the eggs in the next and then breadcrumbs in the third. Mix the butter into the breadcrumbs (will help achieve a golden crust). Remove the chicken bundle from the wrap and then roll in flour, dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Shake off and place on a lightly greased baking dish. Move to fridge and let sit for 1/2 - 1 hour to set. If freezing, wrap each bundle separately in tin foil.
If serving immediately, bake for 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Chicken Paprikash

serves 4

Ingredients:

8 skin on, bone in chicken thighs 3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp canola oil

1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Hungarian Paprika (I mix 2 Tbsp sweet paprika with 1 Tbsp of hot smoked paprika) 3 Tbsp all-purpose ]our
1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes (I like Muir Glen ^re roasted)
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of sour cream room temperature
Salt and pepper
Parsley, minced

1 package of extra broad egg noodles

Take chicken out of the fridge 45 minutes to an hour before you cook to bring closer to room temp. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp oil and T tbsp butter a high sided sauté pan with lid or Dutch-oven on medium high. When butter begins to foam, add chicken and sear skin-side down until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side and remove to a plate.

Drain pan leaving one tablespoon of the accumulated fat and reheat to medium. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes to soften, stirring and scraping the bottom with a ]at-bottomed wooden spatula to deglaze the pot with the liquid that comes from the onions. Then add the garlic and stir, cooking 2 more minutes until it softens. Add the ]our and the paprika, stir well and cook another 4 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes and broth and whisk until smooth. Arrange the chicken skin side up in the pan. The tops will not be completely submerged in the sauce, cover and transfer to the oven for 45 minutes or 1 hour or until fork tender. Remove the chicken to another baking dish and turn oven on broil.

Turn up the heat on the sauce to medium and whisk in the sour cream to thoroughly combine and turn oa heat. Broil chicken for a couple of minutes to crisp the skin back up and add colour before nestling it back into the now creamy sauce for serving presentation.

While the chicken is in the oven, heat large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the noodles for 10 minutes (or according to package instructions). Drain and toss in a bowl with the remaining butter.

Serve the chicken on top of the noodles, ladle the amazing sauce over all and ^nish with a sprinkling of parsley.

Chicken Schnitzel

Mom’s Schnitzel

Ingredients:

4- 6 oz chicken breasts pounded evenly to ¼ inch thick

1 cup flour

Egg mixture:
2 large eggs
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Breadcrumb mixture:
1 cup panko
½ cup Parmesan
Season with salt and pepper
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

Grapeseed or vegetable oil (something neutral with a high smoke point)

Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Mix together ingredients for egg mixture in one bowl and breadcrumb mixture on a plate. Set up assembly line with three stations:  flour, egg mixture and breadcrumb mixture. Season the pounded cutlets with salt and pepper.

Heat 1/8 inch of oil in a large frying pan on medium.  Coat chicken in flour and shake off. Dip into egg mixture (let excess drip off) and then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Don't let it sit in this breaded state to long as the result will not be as crispy.

Fry 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken to serving dish and make sauce.

On low heat, melt butter and then deglaze with wine, making sure to scrape the browned bits off the bottom. Add chicken broth and lemon juice and let simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.

To serve, pour sauce over chicken or just serve with a lemon slice.