Chicken Cordon Light Bleu
In college, I was into eating on the cheap, eating light, and cooking once a week so I’d have leftovers! I’ve altered this recipe a bit over the years, and it does have to bake for a little while, but it results in moist chicken that is great even cold as leftovers or on a sandwich.
Chicken Cordon Light Bleu
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed out
1-1/2 c. plain, nonfat yogurt
¾ c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
¾ c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
6 lowfat and/or low sodium ham slices
6 lowfat Swiss cheese slices
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Trim off extra fat if needed. In a shallow dish or pie pan, stir together breadcrumbs and panko. Put the yogurt in a separate shallow dish or pie pan. Dredge chicken in the yogurt to coat, then in the bread crumb mixture. Place in shallow baking dish that’s been sprayed or greased. Bake at 400° for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken juices run clear or internal temperature at thickest part reaches 160°.
Place a slice of ham and slice of cheese on top of each breast and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts. Serve with grilled asparagus (recipe also on this site).
Helpful hints:
• Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature for about 25 minutes, it will cook more quickly and evenly.
• Experiment with different breadcrumbs or adding 2 tsp. of dry seasonings such as sage, thyme, rosemary.
• Try different kinds of light cheeses, such as Monterey Jack, Muenster, bleu or mozzarella.
• Because of the enzymes in the yogurt, the chicken will be tender but the breading will not end up crispy. If you prefer crispy, try the traditional beaten egg instead of yogurt before the coating and use more panko.
• If you don’t mind a “heavier” version, try it with cooked bacon and bleu cheese!