Inexperienced Chile Hen Cordon Bleu

Monterey jack cheese, Black Forest ham and spicy inexperienced chile are rolled up in boneless, skinless hen breasts and baked to tender, flavorful perfection on this enjoyable new (and simple!) twist on sous-chef. That is what hen sous-chef can be like after a tour of the American Southwest!

A close up view of the sliced Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu on a ceramic grey plate, showing the layers within.

Hen Cordon Bleu is a traditional of French delicacies that grew to become a staple of American eating places within the Nineteen Sixties. Earlier than lengthy, dwelling cooks realized how straightforward it was to make at dwelling and began including it to their rotation, too.

My household has lengthy beloved variations on the theme, together with this chicken cordon bleu with creamy white sauce. However, this recipe for inexperienced chile hen sous-chef is my very own Southwestern take, impressed by the traditional. And, it’s the model I hold coming again to.

Inexperienced Chile Hen Cordon Bleu

Having grown up in New Mexico and Arizona, I can confidently say that I’m extra acquainted with the flavour profiles of Southwestern cooking than another. It’s completely my consolation zone.

So, if I’ve the chance to tuck my beloved inexperienced chiles right into a dish, you may guess I’m going to attempt it. In lots of instances, they’re a welcome addition, however right here? They create pure magic.

The mild, smoky spice of inexperienced chiles is the right foil for the creamy Monterey jack cheese, salty ham, and delicate hen. It’s a match made within the land of enchantment. When you’ve been looking for a brand new hen recipe with actual Southwestern kick, that is the one.

A close up of the sliced chicken cordon bleu with green chile on a plate with a striped towel visible in the background.

Elements and Substitutions

The Meat – You’ll want boneless, skinless hen breasts and sliced Black Forest ham for this recipe.

The Cheese – I exploit each Monterey jack (for creaminess) and Parmesan cheese (to offer the panko some additional taste) for our sous-chef.

Inexperienced Chile – I’ve had readers attain out sometimes to report that they’ll’t discover any inexperienced chiles at their native grocery retailer. Don’t sweat it. As a result of 505 Green Chile is my go-to selection, and Amazon just about at all times has it in inventory.

The Seasonings – Seize your garlic powder, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper.

The Crust – Panko panko bread crumbs and olive oil cooking spray assist to offer this sous-chef it’s signature crust.

A raw chicken cutlet has been laid out on a plate beside the other ingredients for cordon bleu.

Notes on Gear

A 9×13 baking dish, or any medium baking dish of comparable dimension. It’s a kind of kitchen staples that makes baking simpler. It’s sturdy and sturdy (I’ve had a few of mine virtually 20 years). And, I like that it comes with a tight-fitting lid.
A meat mallet or rolling pin
Plastic wrap or parchment paper
Toothpicks or skinny skewers
An instant read thermometer – I heard rave critiques concerning the Thermapen for years earlier than lastly giving in and shopping for one. Simply, wow. Lightning quick (and correct) temperature readings from any angle? Name me a lifelong fan.

The assembled cordon blue with green chile on top is ready to roll and pin.

Make Inexperienced Chile Hen Cordon Bleu

Preheating the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F.

Making ready Your Pan: I begin by flippantly spraying a 9-inch by 13-inch (or different medium sized casserole dish) with olive oil cooking spray and set it apart.

Pounding Out the Hen: You’re going to want to position your hen breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound them out into a good ½” thickness. I exploit a meat mallet for this, however it’s also possible to use a rolling pin.

Making the Rolls: Sprinkle either side of the pounded out hen breasts with garlic, salt and pepper. Then, I simply high each bit of hen with sliced cheese, then ham, after which extra cheese.

A green chile chicken cordon bleu is pinned, ready for the pan.

Including the Inexperienced Chile: I unfold a tablespoon or two of inexperienced chile evenly over the cheese.

Pinning the Rolls: Roll the hen up and pin every roll closed with toothpicks or skinny skewers. It doesn’t should be surgically sewn shut, however do your finest to shut off any avenues of escape for the melted cheese.

Topping the Hen: I organize the hen rolls within the pan so that there’s house round every roll to permit the recent air to flow into. Then, I simply combine collectively the panko and parmesan cheese and sprinkle it excessive of the hen.

Baking: Pop the pan into the oven and let it cook dinner for 35-40 minutes, till the hen reaches an inside temperature of 165°F. The required time will range a bit primarily based on the thickness of the hen.

Letting it Relaxation: Earlier than serving, I at all times let the hen rolls relaxation for five minutes. It helps hold all the pieces cohesive whenever you minimize them open, so it’s definitely worth the wait!

Four chicken cutlets prepared and ready to bake are in the white baking dish.

Knowledgeable Tip

Have you ever observed that boneless, skinless hen breasts are sometimes enormous lately? For that motive, this recipe specifies utilizing 2 kilos of hen breasts as a substitute of claiming “4 hen breasts”. You’re much more more likely to discover gigantic ones on the retailer than uniform, skinny hen breasts.

To arrange them for cooking, do a fast evaluation. Are they stunning thick? You’ll wish to minimize them in half horizontally to create two smaller hen breast halves. Are they already fairly uniformly skinny? Wonderful; much less give you the results you want!

Whether or not you needed to slice them in half, pound them out a bit, or they got here already skinny, you’ll proceed with making ready them the identical manner within the recipe.

Spicy/Not Spicy!: Spice tolerance is a extremely particular person factor, and fortunately, inexperienced chiles are bought in all kinds of spice ranges to accommodate almost everybody. Delicate chiles are really delicate… a step or two above bell peppers. Sizzling ones are simply that, so select properly primarily based by yourself preferences.

Put a Pin in It: Remember to “pin” your rolled hen breasts shut with a pair toothpicks or a skinny skewer. This helps keep the form and hold them from unraveling whereas they cook dinner in addition to serving to them retain the fillings.

To not be Tacky, however…: I prefer to let the inexperienced chiles shine as the only real spicy factor on this recipe, however if you wish to amp up the warmth, you need to use pepperjack cheese rather than the Monterey jack cheese. You may even hit them with a drizzle of sizzling sauce, too.

The Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu have been topped with panko and parmesan.

Serving Options

When one thing that feels this fancy comes out of my oven, I prefer to hold the edges easy. Meaning, I’m more likely to serve this with only a perfect baked potato or a scoop of herb mashed potatoes and a few garlic butter roasted carrots or these green beans au gratin.

And, if I’m feeling the necessity for one thing gentle and contemporary? That’s when my trusty orange parsley salad or a classic Caesar salad come to the desk. Each of these salads are go-to dinner choices for me.

Make Forward & Storage

Make Forward: You can also make these hen sous-chef rolls as much as 2 days prematurely of whenever you’d prefer to serve them.

Alternatively, you may freeze the sous-chef rolls after they’re assembled, earlier than they’ve been baked. This offers you the choice to have them freshly baked at a later date.

Retailer: Let the baked hen rolls cool at room temperature for 20 minutes earlier than transferring to an hermetic container. Leftovers could be saved within the fridge for as much as 3 days and within the freezer for as much as 3 months.

To freeze this hen sous-chef with inexperienced chile for leftovers or meal prep, I simply tightly wrap every cooled roll in a double layer of plastic wrap to stop freezer burn and put these in a resealable plastic bag earlier than labeling and freezing. This lets you thaw and reheat as few or as many servings as you’d like directly.

Reheat: If frozen, place the specified variety of rolls within the fridge till completely thawed (about 12 to 24 hours). Bake as instructed within the recipe.

When you’re heating up refrigerated leftovers, simply wrap loosely in foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven or air fryer for 10-Quarter-hour or till the hen is sizzling throughout and the cheese is melted. If you wish to re-crisp the crumb topping, open the foil for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

The finished cordon bleu with green chile have come out of the oven, with browned crust and ready to eat!

Extra Inexperienced Chile Hen Recipes

How do I hold the filling from leaking out?

Utilizing toothpicks to pin your roll closed is crucial. Some cheese is certain to flee and that’s positive, we simply wish to hold most of it in there.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Oh completely! Simply make sure to use licensed gluten-free forms of panko crumbs, ham, and cheese for a gluten free model.

How can I inform when the hen is totally cooked?

An instant read thermometer or devoted meat thermometer is your finest buddy right here. Remember to measure the temperature within the heart of the thickest a part of the hen and when it hits 165°F, you’re able to roll. Pun supposed.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a pointy knife to chop every of the big hen breasts in half horizontally to create two hen breast halves. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to softly pound them to roughly ½-inch thickness. If utilizing 4 smaller sized breasts, merely pound them out with out slicing them first.
Sprinkle all sides of the hen items generously with garlic, salt and pepper. Prime each bit of hen with sliced cheese, then ham, then extra cheese and a tablespoon or two of inexperienced chile unfold throughout the cheese. Roll the hen up and pin every roll with toothpicks.
Add the pinned hen breasts to a baking dish. Then, combine collectively the Parmesan and the panko crumbs and sprinkle generously over the hen.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, till the hen is cooked by way of (165℉ inside). The required time will range primarily based on the thickness of the hen.

Vitamin info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a pointy knife to chop every of the big hen breasts in half horizontally to create two hen breast halves. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to softly pound them to roughly ½-inch thickness. If utilizing 4 smaller sized breasts, merely pound them out with out slicing them first.
Sprinkle all sides of the hen items generously with garlic, salt and pepper. Prime each bit of hen with sliced cheese, then ham, then extra cheese and a tablespoon or two of inexperienced chile unfold throughout the cheese. Roll the hen up and pin every roll with toothpicks.
Add the pinned hen breasts to a baking dish. Then, combine collectively the Parmesan and the panko crumbs and sprinkle generously over the hen.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, till the hen is cooked by way of (165℉ inside). The required time will range primarily based on the thickness of the hen.