I have always been a little fascinated with Chicken Cordon Bleu. I remember as a kid wondering “How did they get the cheese and the ham INSIDE the chicken?!” but now that I know at least a little bit more about cooking, I know it’s actually pretty simple — rolling. (Duh.) That simple technique translates equally well to a larger form… like say, in a meatloaf. Which means that serving Chicken Cordon Bleu (or at least something Chicken Cordon Bleu adjacent) to a group of your nearest and dearest is actually really easy. You only need to stuff and roll one time and everyone gets to enjoy it! (And don’t miss that creamy Dijon sauce to top it all off.)
Serves 6-8
10m prep time
1h 15m cook time
FOR THE MEATLOAF:
2 lbs ground chicken
1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
6 slices Black Forest ham
6 slices Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons melted butter
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
PREPARATION
1/ Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray. Set aside.
2/ To a medium bowl, add the chicken, egg, onion, garlic, Dijon, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs. Using your hands, mix until evenly combined.
3/ Place mixture onto a rectangular piece of parchment or wax paper and flatten into a rectangle that’s about 8 by 12-inches.
4/ Line meat mixture with ham slices, followed by Swiss cheese slices.
5/ Using the parchment paper, roll the meat mixture up into a log, starting at a short end.
6/ Use paper to transfer meatloaf to prepared pan and place seam side down. (Remove the paper.)
7/ Mix together the remaining breadcrumbs and the melted butter (and a pinch of salt) and sprinkle over meatloaf.
8/ Bake until a meat thermometer reaches 165°F, about 75 minutes. (Start checking at 1 hour.)
9/ Remove meatloaf from oven and let rest while you make the sauce:
10/ In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
11/ Gradually whisk in milk and cook until starting to thicken, about 3 minutes.
12/ Whisk in mustard and cheese until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over meatloaf. Enjoy!