Chicken Cordon Bleu

          One of my favourite foods growing up was Chicken Cordon Bleu. We had it every Christmas in lieu of the time-consuming turkey and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more. I loved the combination of chicken, ham & cheese - what more could you ask in a meal?!
           I noticed a recipe from Weight Watchers for a ligher version of Chicken Cordon Bleu and decided to give it a go. Once again, it turned out fabulously - you couldn't even tell that it was healthier than most of the recipes out there. It also has 80% less salt than a popular store-bought version for those looking to reduce sodium intake.
           This recipe took about 20 minutes to prep; not unreasonable for the quality of a dish. Make sure the chicken breasts are either fresh or thawed completely for ease of preparation, and soak the toothpicks for a few minutes in water to avoid them drying or burning in the oven. The picture does not do this dish justice, like most of my mediocre photos!

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts, fresh
2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup dijon mustard
12 slices cooked ham
12 slices part-skim mozzarella or provolone
toothpicks


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Take chicken breasts, one at a time, and place between two pieces of wax paper. Pound each to about 1/2" thickness.
3. Place 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of cheese onto breast. Roll chicken, starting with smallest end, so that ham and cheese are in centre (like a pinwheel) and secure with toothpicks.
4. Put egg, flour, mustard and bread crumbs into four shallow bowls. Dip each chicken in egg, then flour, then mustard, then bread crumbs to coat well.
5. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked and juices run clear.


Nutritional Information:
Weight Watchers: 8 points
About 400 calories per serving using 6-oz chicken and light cheese. Serve with steamed vegetables to add no further calories or points to the meal!


Source: Adapted from Weight Watchers