Chicken a la Patrick

It wasn't Chicken a la Patrick but it was a really delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu!  What made it even better was that the hubby made it for me!  Of course that meant I had to do dishes :(  But the dishes were definitely worth this meal!

He followed Cooking Light's recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu and made roasted asparagus to go along with it.  Roasting asparagus is the same procedure as grilling asparagus, just bake it at 350-400 for about 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (he used regular breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 10 tablespoons), divided (he used shredded Swiss)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 slices pancetta (about 1 1/4 ounces)
• Cooking spray

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper and salt.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add panko; cook 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring often. Remove from heat. Place flour in a dish. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg in a bowl; lightly beat. Pour egg mixture into a dish. Combine panko, 2 tablespoons cheese, thyme, and garlic in a dish.

Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture. Top with 1 pancetta slice and 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up; secure with a toothpick. Place roll, seam side down, on a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Place rack on a baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients. 

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

Happy Cooking!

Jenny