Smokey Caesar Chicken Cordon Bleu

Oh God it feels good to be back in my kitchen, trying out a new recipe!!! We just got home from 3 weeks at my in-laws' house in Quebec, and since my father-in-law doesn't seem to be a huge fan of my cooking, I only cooked supper twice while I was on holidays. (Once I made sushi and fresh rolls with my husband's goddaughter, and once I made Salmon Wellington for my in-laws, but my father-in-law didn't try it.) I put most of my cooking energy into watching Rachael Ray, looking through French cookbooks, and jotting down recipes that I wanted to make when I got home.

Tonight's recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray's Buffalo-Style Chicken Cordon "Blue". I, however, hate buffalo-style chicken, and I absolutely detest blue cheese, so it was time for a few adaptations. I used my $5000 Salad as a starting point, and went from there....

SMOKEY CAESAR CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

4 chicken breasts

4 slices of prosciutto

smoked gouda cheese, sliced

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. cornmeal

2 egg whites

1 c. croutons, crushed (I used Caesar-flavoured croutons and put them the blender)

1 tbsp. Caesar Salad Dressing Mix

1/8 tsp. Chipotle Chili powder

vegetable oil

Slice along the thick side of each chicken breast so that you can open up each one like a book. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin until chicken is about 1/2" thick. Lay a piece of prosciutto on each chicken breast and top with cheese slices. Fold chicken breasts in half. In three separate bowls, combine the following: flour & cornmeal in the first, egg whites in the second, and crushed croutons with Caesar and Chipotle seasonings in the third. Take each chicken breast and coat it in the flour mixture, then the egg, and lastly the crouton mixture. Heat about 1/2" of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping once. Serve with a drizzle of Smokey Caesar Salad dressing (1 tbsp. Caesar Salad Dressing Mix, 1/8 tsp. Chipotle Chili powder, 1 tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. milk, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese).

I overcooked these a little, but otherwise they were gosh darn good. Could have used more cheese though - maybe next time I'll put some cheese on top to melt after they come out of the frying pan. You can never have too much cheese! (Just wait till you see some of my other recipes coming up in the next few days!!)