Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken cutlets
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, whisked
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
salt and pepper
about 2 tbsp olive oil, for drizzling
1/3 lb thinly sliced black forest ham
1/3 lb thinly sliced Swiss or Gruyere cheese (or you can do grated cheese instead)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

Set up your breading stations by placing the flour in the first bowl, the egg in the second, and the panko in the third. Season the panko by adding the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, and salt.

Lay out your chicken cutlets on a cutting board and gather up some toothpicks, about 2 or 3 per cutlet (or you can tie it up with kitchen twine if you prefer that). Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, and drizzle on a little bit of olive oil. Place a single layer of both ham and cheese on each cutlet, and roll it up tightly. Secure with the toothpicks or tie it up with twine to keep it closed up.

Dip the rolled chicken slices first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the panko breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess coating every step of the way (if you don't do this, your breading will want to fall off later). Place on the wire rack.

Baking time will vary depending on how big your chicken cutlets are, but 30-35 minutes should be about right. I bake the chicken until it's about 152 degrees F inside (rises to about 155-157 during resting), to make sure it doesn't overcook. Let the chicken rest for about 5-10 minutes out of the oven so the juices don't run out, and remove the toothpicks or kitchen twine before serving. Enjoy!