Chicken Cordon Bleu

Grant and I refuse to go out for dinner on Valentine's Day. We know ourselves well enough to know that we would be so annoyed by the crowds, long waits, etc., that we'd just rather stay in and cook an extra special meal at home. And now that Eliot's a part of our family, it makes it nicer to not have to worry about finding a sitter on Valentine's Day. So we set a romantic table for three and whip out our best cooking skills, and voila -- a fabulous, cozy Valentine's dinner at home. This year we made the Lion House Chicken Cordon Bleu. I've made Cordon Bleu before, but "inside-out," where I just wrap chicken breasts or tenders in ham and cheese and skip the breading. But this year, Grant and I worked together to make the "real deal," and it turned out fantastic! In addition to that, we made some of our more involved side dishes and salads, so from start to finish, the meal took about two hours to make. But worth every minute! The only thing missing, in my opinion -- Lion House rolls. Next time.

Here's the recipe for the Cordon Bleu. It's a little involved, but so worth it!

Lion House Chicken Cordon Bleu:
4 whole chicken breasts, halved (so 8 pieces total).
8 thin slices cooked ham (baked or boiled ham slices may be used -- I just used cold cuts)
8 Swiss cheese "fingers," cut about 1 1/2 inches long (mine were longer) and 1/2 inch thick
Salt
Pepper
Thyme or rosemary (we used rosemary, and it was delicious! This really makes the recipe!)
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs

Skin and bone chicken breast halves, if not already done. Place each half between sheets of plastic wrap, and pound with meat mallet to about 1/8-inch thickness.

On each ham slice, place a finger of cheese. Sprinkle lightly with seasonings. Roll ham and cheese jelly-roll style, then roll each chicken breast with ham and cheese inside. Tuck in ends and seal well. (Tie rolls if necessary, or fasten edges with toothpicks. We didn't do this. We found that if the meat is well flattened/pounded out, it wraps nicely around the ham and cheese and all folds together/stays in place nicely.) Dip each roll in melted butter, then roll in cornflake crumbs, turning to thoroughly coat each roll. My tip on this part -- have one person in charge of the non-chicken portion (wrapping the meat & cheese and sprinkling the spices) and another rolling and dipping the chicken.

Place rolls in a 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 400-degree F. oven for about 40 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown. Serve with Cordon Bleu Sauce, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings (we made half of this amount and had enough for two dinners).

Cordon Bleu Sauce:
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup)

Blend ingredients and heat. Serve over chicken rolls, if desired. Makes about 2 cups, 8 servings of 1/4 cup each.