Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu

If you know me, or have read any of my wee little blog, you will know I am always looking for ways to:

1. Save time
2. Save calories
3. Save money
4. Serve SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD! 

The traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe calls for labor and time that is fairly daunting and intensive to most home cooks. It also calls for more ingredients that add calories. I have come up with this quick little method that allows you to enjoy the flavors of Chicken Cordon Bleu, without much fuss.  If you can sauté, pour and stack, you have the skills you will need! 

Look what you are about to make!

 

What you will need:

• 2-TB. Light olive oil or canola oil
• 4-Boneless chicken breasts or 8-thighs (whichever flavor profile you prefer)
• 1/4 lb. Paper thin sliced deli ham
• Thin sliced swiss cheese (Thick slices will not melt properly unless placed in oven and/or will become too hard/rubbery)
• 1/2 C. Honey mustard salad dressing (I used Brianna's Honey Mustard Salad Dressing)
• Salt
• Pepper

What you will do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In oven proof sauté pan, heat oil to med/high heat (it will shimmer when you look at it; make sure you wait till it is properly heated, this helps you get a good seer on the meat, which seals in the juices).
• Wash, pat dry and season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Once oil is hot, add chicken breasts to pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side (You want to see a nice golden brown colour).
• Pour salad dressing over chicken breasts and place in oven.
• Cook 20-25 minutes, take chicken out, stack slices of deli ham on top of chicken and return to oven for 5-7 minutes. (Internal temp should be 165 degrees, cook time will vary per type of meat and size of pieces).
• Remove chicken from sauté pan and add slices of swiss cheese to each piece, tent with foil and let rest for 5-7 minutes.  (This will allow your swiss cheese to melt too).
• While your chicken is resting, you can skim the fat off the pan sauce that has been created from the honey mustard and chicken juices/fat.  Put sauté pan on top burner turned to med/high heat, add a wee bit more honey mustard if needed, salt, pepper and whisk till bubbling.  You now have a sweet and savory sauce to pour over top, or have on the side, that is UBBER yummy, .

WHA-LA! There you go! Easy sneasy, less calories, inexpensive and pretty darn good. 

Please enjoy, please share, just remember even if it is a cooking "ah-ha" moment, it is my moment and I appreciate you sharing the source, when you do share. :)

Fudged Enchiladas ~AKA~ Poor Man Enchiladas

Surprise! I bet you thought you were tuning in for a sweet, yummy dessert recipe or maybe a unique twist on savory enchilada's, perhaps utilizing a mole' sauce?!  NOPE! GOTCHA!

This recipe is FUDGED because well, quite simply it more technique then recipe and processed foods are the focal point.  GASP! SHOCK! ....OK, are you done now? YES! Even I use processed foods and I think in moderation that is OK.  NO really, get over it; this is scrumptious and if you are like me and have nights where dinner is a conundrum, you are pooped out, uninspired and you don't want fast food, this is a fun little fix.  Paired with some rice and salad it is balanced meal. Oh, did I mention this is economical as well?!  With salad and rice, you come in at about $7 and feed 6-8 people a hearty meal that has protein. WHOOOOOP!

I also can't resist sharing the special place this recipe/method holds in our hearts, it is the first meal I cooked for the big guy in his apartment.  I remember it well, the shock of finding out that he was existing on frozen corn dogs, chicken nuggets, burritos and snak-pak pudding! Then of course, wanting to impress this man who had captured my heart from our first date, lightening hit and I remembered this "recipe" that a friend had shared with me years before. After a quick jaunt to the grocery store to grab two ingredients the big guy didn't have, I popped "Fudged Enchiladas AKA Poor Man Enchiladas" into his little toaster oven. 

Sixty minutes later we sat down to a lovely meal, sixty five minutes later, the big guy was licking his plate and asking for more. 7 months later we were married. Six years later, no more Costco size bags of processed foods can be found in our freezer and we don't even own a microwave. However, yes, on THOSE nights, we enjoy taking a walk down memory lane as we dig into a plate of hot, savory, ooey, gooey, Americanized, Mexican food, goodness. I hope you enjoy this "Quick Fix" meal, as always, make it your own.  This is how to cook it up at our house:

"Fudged Enchiladas" ~AKA~ "Poor Man Enchiladas"

You will need:

• 1- Eight count package of frozen burritos or chimichangas (You can also use frozen taquitos)
• 1- 28 Oz. Can of enchilada sauce, green or red. OR 1-10 Oz. can of enchilada sauce plus two cups of salsa *
• 2- C. Shredded cheese (I like Monterrey Jack/Colby blend)
• Add On's: Olives, Onions, Sour Cream, Tomatoes, Salsa......whatever you might like!

Simple starts

 What to do:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Spray 9X13" baking pan with cooking spray
• Place burritos, single layer, in bottom of the pan
• Smother burritos with enchilada sauce
• Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes
• Remove tin foil, load on your cheese and back into the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes more.
• Add on your "Add On's" and enjoy!

Frozen pockets of bean and beef , YUM!

Swimming in green sauce (our current favorite).

Bring on the cheese!

Can't wait to dig in!

"Fudged Enchiladas"....CAN you believe this came from the freezer and pantry?!

While my enchiladas are cooking, I usually steam a wee bit of rice in tomato/chicken broth and whip up a simple salad.  The salad especially, serves as a nice counter balance of coolness to the enchiladas.

Kids gobble these up and enjoy help putting them together.  Double the recipe for a dinner party or to feed hungry teens on a sleepover night (so much more economical then getting pizza's). 

*If I don't have enchilada sauce, I grab a 28 Oz. can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes and throw in 2 Tb. of Chile Powder, 1 Tb. each of Cumin and Garlic Powder.  You can adjust the spices as you like, or keep your sauce naked.  Also, as I mentioned above, taquitos are another great choice as your base!  I adore chicken taquitos and green sauce with this recipe/method.

The recipe/method is a pass a long, not sure where it originated.  The photos are mine.  Please feel free to share with friends and family but I hope you will remember to share where you sourced it from!  Don't forget to "Like" Cobwebs To Cookies on Facebook, I share "Quick Tips" often that will help you get dinner on the table, come up with a fun creative gift or even just live life a wee bit more trouble free. 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cobwebs-To-Cookies/159068230815357?bookmark_t=page

"You Won't Be Sorry"! Sweet'n Spicy Sauce

WHAT?!  Almost a whole year since my last blog?

Well, most of you know my husband, niece and I were in a fairly bad car accident last June.  Car totaled and for me, back totaled!  It wasn't till a few months ago, that a specialist finally got me fixed! WHOOP!  Meanwhile back at the ranch, a lot of things got put to pasture.  EEP!  Not the best of years for our family.  BUT! now that I am feeling better, my brain can focus on the things I love to do best, creating, cooking and writing!  So, there you have it, now, let's get down to business.

I was looking for a slow cooker chicken recipe a few years ago and came across one that sounded pretty good.  I gave it a whirl and it was good, but not what I would consider great.  The sauce was too much of a "one note" wonder.  I few tweaks here and there and Ta-Da! I have not only a great slow cooker chicken recipe, but also a sauce that is great on: Meatballs, Kielbasa, Little Smokies, Salmon and Pork. You will see I used chicken legs in my photo's, but you can use your favorite chicken cut.  I really love this recipe on wings. The beautiful sticky sweet molasses gives you a depth of flavor you won't get when using the brown sugar that other recipes call for. The sriracha and dijon mustard add a tangy kick, keeping the sauce from being too sweet and adding just one more layer of "You Won't Be Sorry" goodness!

My new Crock~Pot! Isn't she pretty?

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it doesn't have a lot of ingredients.  Maybe more then some recipes, however, all things that most of us already have in our kitchen.  If not, then also know that every ingredient is common/easy to find and can be used in more then this recipe.  NO REALLY! they will not sit in your pantry for years!  Don't you hate buying an ingredient for a recipe that you only need a smidge of and having the rest just sit and go to seed?  I DO!  So, curious as to what these ingredients are?  Well here you go:

 

"You Won't Be Sorry"! Sweet and Spicy Sauce

• 1/2 C. Ketchup (I use Del Monte Ketchup which is lower in sugar then Heinz)
• 1/2 C. Molasses
• 1/2 C. Apricot Preserves or Jam
• 2 TB. Soy Sauce
• 1 TB. Dijon Mustard
• 1 TB. Sriracha Sauce *A wee bit more if you like REALLY spicy, less if you are a tender tongue*
• 1 TB. Minced Garlic
• A smattering of Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Yields 1-Pint, ~Will keep in refrigerator for 30 days~

Instructions?  Easy Peasy!  Mix all ingredients together and pour over 4-5 lbs. of whatever meat you have chosen for you slow cooker.  If you want to get crazy, you can even marinade overnight and then dump the whole shabang into your cooker in the morning. For chicken, slow cook on low 6-8 hours, high 4-6 hours. During the last hour of cook time, remove lid (and if cooking on low adjust temp to high) to allow sauce to reduce down.  Baste exposed pieces of meat every 15 minutes. Adjust cook time for whatever protein you use.  Pre-Cooked meatballs or pork, will not need as much time.

Into the pot and blanketed with sauce.

Almost done! Time to baste.

Dig in, I ate three!

If you are preparing this sauce to gift or have in refrigerator, read to go, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a low boil, lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before refrigerating.

Prettied up and ready to gift.

*As noted in ingredients, adjust the sriracha to your personal taste.  As it is listed, I promise, this is NOT super spicy, I would classify it as mild*

I hope you enjoy this simple, scrumptious recipe.  If you want to try a different variation, sub out a different flavor of jam or preserves.  I have used blackberry and peach with GREAT results!

Please feel free to share with your family and friends.  I only ask that you credit recipe as written and photo's to "Cobwebs To Cookies", they are the fruits of my heart and mind.  Thank YOU!