Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu

Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

Hello...I'm back! If you read my blog on a regular basis...you know that I am a professional caterer so at times...you, my reader, will benefit from some of my catering recipes so that you can throw your own party and make professional style catered food that is not that difficult but will wow your guests. And if you read my blog on a regular basis and have visited my company website www.avestacuisine.com you will also know that I just love...love...love mini items. I love one bite finger foods that keep guests from getting messy and allows them to mingle and have a cocktail in the other hand! :)

So since I've been busy with all my holiday parties...I am going to try to post some easy holiday recipes for you in the next couple weeks that I've been busy serving up to my customers. I hope this makes up for my MIA status and I promise I will be more consistent now that most of my 16-18 hour work days are over....at least for now! :) My first appetizer recipe is Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites. These are so good and I promise....sooooo easy! This would make a great New Year's Eve party appetizer! Let me know how they turn out for you!!!!
Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken
12-20 chicken breast tenderloins
4 pieces of Swiss cheese (cut evenly into small squares)
4 pieces of ham (cut evenly into slices that fit along the chicken tenderloin)
12-20 sturdy toothpicks (try to find thicker ones so that they hold the chicken together)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Egg Wash
2 eggs whisked with 2 tablespoons water
Flour Mixture
2 cups flour
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Panko Crumbs
2 cups Panko crumbs (if you can't find these you can make your own by putting dried out crustless white bread in a food processor or you can use any other bread crumb that you prefer)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Honey Mustard
(you can also buy your favorite store bought brand if you'd like)
1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard
2 tablespoons Mayo
1/4 cup honey
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.


I love using chicken breast tenderloins rather than breasts because they don't dry out like breasts do. They stay moist and tender and they're already cut to the perfect size!

Once you've layered the chicken with the ham and Swiss cheese, put a drop of the honey mustard on top of the Swiss cheese before rolling up your cordon bleu. I start wrapping from the larger end then I secure the small end with a sturdy toothpick.

To make an egg wash simply whisk 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons water

I use one pan and put the flour and Panko crumbs side by side (less dirty dishes this way!)

After you've rolled up all your chicken, first roll in the flour mixture then dip in the egg wash and finally roll in the Panko crumbs. Lay the mini cordon bleu on a oil sprayed pan, lightly spray the tops of the cordon bleus and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the Panko crumbs are nice and golden brown and the chicken is fully cooked. This is also why I love using the tenderloins rather than the breasts, they cook pretty fast!

Serve the chicken cordon bleu on a platter with honey mustard dipping sauce. I also like to sprinkle the tops with some paprika for some added color! This is also a good app to serve on festive platters since they do not have a lot of color going on in them so break out your holiday tableware. I love serving these on an all red platter with just a little parsley as garnish...they really pop this way!








18 comments:

  1. Avesta, these look good! It's so nice of you to share your own catering recipe with us the foodie.

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  2. Thanks Farida! I don't mind giving out my recipes...I do this because I really think anyone can learn to cook...it just takes patience and a bit of practice! :)

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  3. Those are pretty cute. I think I'm going to use large skewers and put two or three "roll-ups" on each when I make them for dinner.

    Thanks for the recipe especially for the honey mustard one!
    ~ingrid

    Btw, the kids adore your sweet & spicy Asian sauce. I have some in a jar in the fridge. The other day when I tried another Asian dish and they grabbed your sauce to "kick up" some!

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  4. Avesta:

    Thanks so much for sharing. I love, love this recipe...especially the panko!

    Take care!

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  5. What a great idea! They look really good!

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  6. Thanks Roxy and Kevin! Make these for your next party and your guests will be so happy!!! I love bite size food! :)

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  7. I'm going to make them today for the Super Bowl. I came across a whole bunch of swiss cheese and Cordon Bleu was the first thing i thought of. Then I found you :)

    Thanks for the great recipe! I'm sure I'll be back to check for other recipes :)

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  8. Can NOT wait to try these for Christmas!!

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  9. This recipe worked great. I revised it slightly by frying in the pan until golden brown, then put in the oven. I also deglazed the pan with wine and made a sauce for them.

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  10. This sounds like a perfect hor d'oeuvre for my daughters reception. I wanted to know if I could make these before hand and freeze them? Also does it matter if they are served warm or cold? Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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    1. Hi. Yes you can make them ahead of time and freeze them. They do not need to be hot when you serve them but shpuld be warm. You can always heat them then put them in a chafer pan or even a large electric roaster on low to keep them warm and then you could pass them on a platter or display them nicely on a buffet when guests are ready to eat...I have served these room temperature and they are still good but best when warm. Good luck!

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  11. I was wondering the same thing as anonymous - making them ahead. When you make them ahead, do you fully cook them and then warm them up, or freeze them at the point before cooking?

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    1. Either way works. Just make sure they are in a freezer safe tight container and parchment or wax paper in between them.

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  12. Not sure if my first comment went through - I was also wondering about freezing. Would you fully cook these and then freeze them, or freeze them at the point just prior to cooking?

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    1. Either way would work. They would turn out better if you froze them raw then cooked them before serving. Thanks for reading!

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  13. thank you so much for sharing.... my lil boy will be turning 1 this coming april and being a filipino... most people are expecting lotsa food...so this will be a big help! LOL

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