Chicken Cordon Bleu

I had a hankering for this comfort food today, so I tried my hand at it.  You may recall I made something similar back in December called Chicken Kiev and it turned out really well!  So here's my Chicken Cordon Bleu, that turned out equally as well! (If not better!)  :)

 Chicken Cordon Bleu:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (one per person or so)
Sliced Ham (Deli meat, leftover from spiral, etc...)
Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded or sliced)
Bread Crumbs (Plain or Italian)

 1.  Preheat oven to 375degrees.  Pound each breast until it's flat and thing enough to roll up. (Tip:  Try pounding one breast at a time in a Gallon size Ziploc with just the flat (not the bumpy) side of a meat tenderizer.  Much less mess!)

 2.  Place a slice of ham and some cheese in the middle (or so) of the pounded chicken.

 Get bread crumbs ready on a plate.

 3.  Roll up the chicken keeping the ham and cheese inside!  Then carefully roll in the bread crumbs.

 4.  Place on a greased baking pan.

 5.  Repeat process for each chicken breast.  

6.  Once they are all put together and placed on baking pan.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until done.  If yours are thicker then they will take more time, etc...

Just out of the oven!  Look at all that ooey gooey cheese ooozing out! :)

 7.  Plate and serve with your desired sides.  (Like salads, veggies, etc...)  I just hadn't gotten the rest of my plate together yet for pics...

Yum!  Just as good (if not better) than restaurant and store-bought ones!  :)

Easy Rosemary Chicken (Whole or Breast)

This is how I will be preparing my chicken this Easter.  It's the first Easter that it's just my hubby and me...so we're starting a new tradition.  While I had intended for it to be a big meal with Ham and fixings, it turns out chicken was a more economical (and I like it better anyway...) option.  So, that's why I fixed it up nicely and want to share this recipe with you before Easter in case you're looking for options too!  :)

Easy Rosemary Chicken:
Chicken (whole or breasts, preferably with skin on--more about that later)
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
Butter
Salt

1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Lift the skin up from the breast of the chicken, so that you'll be able to put the rosemary underneath it.  Like shown.

3.  Place about 1 t. dried or 1 T. fresh rosemary underneath the skin on the breasts.  You can optionally put it on the drumsticks, etc... too.
4.  Put the skin back down and smear (sounds gross I know...but it's what it is) butter (about 1/8-1/4 c. for a whole chicken) all over the chicken on the outside of the skin.  This will ensure it will get golden brown and crispy on the outside (not that we'll eat the skin) and nice and juicy on the inside! :)
5.  Place in a baking dish or roasting pan and into the oven for about 60 minutes for bone in breasts, and about 2 hours for a 5lb. chicken.  Click here for more instructions on how long to cook a chicken.  You can baste if you'd like while cooking the chicken, but it's not needed with this method.

6.  Once the chicken is throughly cooked pull out of the oven and let rest (and cool slightly) for about 10 minutes before carving.  Start gravy from the drippings  if you'd like at this point. :)

7.  Carve chicken however you desire and keep some of the rosemary on it if you can.

8.  Serve immediately.  Goes well with dressing, mashed potatoes, corn, veggies and other veggie casseroles.
Enjoy!  :)