So it’s day one of 2009. I thought I’d try something a little different and somewhat complicated. Well, it wasn’t as bad as I thought, in fact it was really easy! Okay so this is more like my version of chicken cordon bleu because of the lack of ingredients in the fridge. Traditionally, you’re supposed to use prosciutto and Gruyère cheese. I only had sandwich-style ham and provolone. C’est la vie! It came out great, and apparently tasted delicious.

This recipe is good for 1 serving, multiply accordingly for more servings.

Ingredients:
1 skinless & boneless chicken breast fillet
5 slices of ham (or prosciutto if you’re going traditional)
2 – 3 slices of provolone cheese (or Gruyère or Swiss works well too)
1 egg
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
8 crushed Ritz crackers
2 tablespoons of butter
4 sprigs of fresh thyme – just the leaves
fresh ground pepper
fine white pepper
sea salt

Preheat oven to 390°F or 200°C

Step 1: Prep the chicken
Wash and pat dry the chicken breast. So you want to butterfly the chicken breast, it’s basically cutting it in half but not all the way so it folds out nicely into one big flat piece of chicken. Sprinkle some sea salt all over the butterflied chicken breast. Cover up the open faced chicken breast with some cling wrap, keep enough space for it to spread. Use a meat tenderizer, or a jar like I did, to flatten out the chicken breast – should be about 1/4 inch thick. Unwrap and sprinkle a little bit more sea salt on both sides.

Now we’re ready to roll! Literally. Roll up the ham/procscuitto slices and place it in the middle of the chicken. Crumble up the cheese and wedge it inbetween the rolls of ham/proscuitto. Now roll up the chicken breast and use the plastic wrap to help you keep it in place while you work on the crumbing. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap and place the chicken in the fridge while you do the next step!

Step 2: Crumbing & more prepping
In a large bowl mix together the flour, crushed ritz crackers, thyme leaves, and about 1/4 teaspoon of finely ground white pepper. Also add in a little bit of fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat the egg so the yoke is all mixed up but not too much so that it’s frothy. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a small saucepan melt about 2 tablespoons of butter and when it’s all melted, move away from the heat and let it cool. Also on another burner, heat a cast iron pan on low heat while you do the next step.

Now take your chicken out of the fridge and unwrap. Lightly dust the rolled chicken breast with flour and then dip it in the egg. Now cover the chicken breast thoroughly with the crumb mixture.

Step 3: Bake
Pour half of the melted butter onto the heated cast iron pan – careful, it might sizzle! Place your crumbed chicken roll in the middle of the cast iron pan and drizzle the rest of the butter on top – very slowly so you don’t take off all the crumbs! Place in  the top rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes in the oven, spoon some of the butter in the pan over the chicken and then bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. You’ll want to cut into the middle to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Once ready, you can serve cut in half to show the rolls or in pinwheels. Serve with a small dollop of cranberry sauce, ranch dressing, or dijon mustard – yes all very different flavors so try them separately but each works really well!

Bon Appétit! Enjoy!