Chicken Cordon Casserole and my secret Love/Hate Relationship with the French

Before I start this I'm going to say it before anyone else does. Yes, I know. Chicken Cordon Casserole translates to Casserole Ribbon Chicken. I'm from 'Merica. I doubt that the translation of the title will offend any French. Mainly because they're probably too busy not shaving their armpits, waving white flags, being snobs and smoking their cigarettes in odd ways to even care. I hate secretly want to be am envious of  am not partial to the French, but I love their cuisine, music, style, architecture and culture.

"Doesn't that mean you adore them," you might ask.

To which I'd reply, "Shut your whore mouth." Then run off into the distance crying loudly and flailing my arms.

What most people don't realize is that while Chicken Cordon Bleu sounds French, it isn't French at all. It's about as American as inventing a dish in 1967 and giving it a French name to make it sound fancy. Which is exactly what it is.

Oh no! You thought that those little Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwiches you find under heat lamps in convenience stores or those little bite sized morsels that are in the frozen food section were French food? You thought you were being fancy and sophisticated? You thought that it meant you had a taste for international fair?

Well you, my friend, are an idiot wrong. I still love you though.

Don't worry. While the dish may not be French, it is freakin' delcious. Who doesn't want ham and cheese wrapped in a flattened chicken breast then breaded and fried? (lol! You thought that was French.) All I know is that it is amazingly delicious, but rolling it up and frying it is so tedious and time consuming. 

We've already established that I'm 'Merican. If there is one thing the good ole U.S of A believes in, it's convenience.  I love convenience about as much as a French person loves avante garde films about nothing. I've seen  those films and I'm assuming that's a lot.

My love for convenience caused me to look for a more convenient Cordon Bleu recipe. I found a few for casseroles and a few for basically just throwing stuff on top of a piece of chicken. I pieced together pieces from those recipes and came up with this delicious, easier and slightly more healthy recipe.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole  

• 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch bite sized pieces
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 2 c Italian breadcrumbs
• 8 slices of smoked ham
• 2 c Swiss cheese (I'm not a fan of Swiss so I've used Monterrey and Mozzarella before)
• 4 c cooked white rice
• 1 large can cream of mushroom soup with 1 c milk whisked in
• salt, pepper, garlic to taste
• cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk together the eggs and milk. 

Dredge the chicken pieces in the mixture.

Place the breadcrumbs in a sealable bag or large bowl.

Place dredged pieces in breadcrumbs and coat completely.

Place pieces on a cooking spray coated baking sheet in a single layer.

Spray cooking spray over pieces to ensure even browning.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until pieces are golden brown and cooked thoroughly.

While chicken is baking, mix the cream of mushroom in with the white rice, reserving about 1 cup of soup.

Season mixture with salt, pepper and garlic to taste.

Spoon the soup and rice mixture into a baking dish evenly.

Place the ham on top of the rice in a single layer making sure to overlap some of the slices.

Spoon remaining soup over ham.

Put all of the baked chicken pieces on top.

Top with all of the cheese.

Place under the broiler until cheese on top is melted and bubbly. (about 4-5 minutes)

Serve alone or with a side salad.

 

Sidenote: I really hope that Edith Piaf is playing while you're reading this.

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