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Lifting unstuffed chicken cordon bleu with spatula.

Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu with Roasted Broccoli

Yield: 5 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ pounds broccoli, cut into spears/thin wedges (see pictures in the post for a visual)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (4-5 breasts), pounded to 1/4-inch thick or cut in half to form two thinner cutlets (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 to 8 slices deli ham, exact amount depends on brand/size of slices
  • 1 cup (114 g) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
  • ¾ cup Ritz crackers (about 15), coarsely crushed

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the lower-middle position. Brush a large, rimmed baking sheet (about 11X18-inches) with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
  • Toss the broccoli with the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt), and a pinch of black pepper.
  • Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts side-by-side on one side of the prepared baking sheet (to help them fit, you can alternate thicker end to thinner end as you lay them down). Placing them close together (without overlapping) will help the cheese stay put as they bake.
  • Spread the mustard lightly over the top of each chicken piece. Top with 1 to 2 slices ham to cover and then add 1/4 cup or so of the shredded cheese evenly across the top.
  • Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the cheese, and press lightly so the crumbs aren't loose.
  • Arrange the broccoli in a single layer on the opposite side of the baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20 minutes until the chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer and the broccoli is roasted and tender. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. If the chicken still needs more time but the broccoli looks like it is finished, scoop the broccoli off the sheet pan onto a plate and lightly tent with foil while the chicken finishes cooking.
  • I recommend removing the chicken as soon as the sheet pan comes out of the oven so it doesn't sit in the liquid that will naturally pool on the bottom of the sheet pan.

Notes

Chicken: for this recipe, you definitely want chicken breasts that are on the thinner side of things so they cook quickly. I usually buy the thin-cut chicken breasts in the freezer bags at Costco, but you can easily make thinner chicken pieces from chicken breasts you already have on hand. Just slice thick chicken breasts in half (like you would cutting open a hamburger bun) to form two thinner chicken breasts/cutlets. You'll want about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken total for this recipe.
Increasing the Quantity: there are seven people in my family, so for this recipe, I increased the quantities by half and baked on two sheet pans.