Apricot Chicken Cordon Bleu

A slightly sweet twist on the classic!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoftsoapTouch #OurCaringHands #CollectiveBiasChicken Cordon Bleu was something I grew up with.  I remember it being part of the regular rotation of dishes.  My favorite part was the middle where you would get the gooey cheese, some ham, and the chicken all in one.  And my mom always made this yummy sauce to go with it, which I loved to put on the rice as well.  I grew up cooking and sitting on the counter, so I have a lot of fond memories of being in the kitchen and learning to cook at a young age.

The apricot inspiration came from my grandmother.  I remember my grandparents always having a bowl of fresh apricots in their kitchen.  The entire area would smell like apricot and to this day, when I see them in the store, I am sure to stop and smell them.  The scent takes me back to being a little kid in their kitchen.  And they always had a bag of dried apricots around to snack on as well, especially when the fruit was not in season.  So this Apricot Chicken Cordon Bleu is a combination of childhood memories and family.

Anytime you cook with chicken, you want to be especially careful that you are keeping everything clean.  This means a lot of hand washing!  And hand washing can make my hands dry out rather quickly.  SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™ is perfect for this.  The have three great scents: Shea & Cocoa Butter, Aloe Water & Lime, and Orchid & Coconut Milk, and are the only hand soaps, the only one made with a touch of lotion.  This leaves your hands feeling clean and soft, and, locking in moisture for a caring clean.  These SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™ products are proven to hydrate and make skin irresistibly soft and smooth with their unique and non-greasy formula.  Perfect for all of those chicken hand washings!

I found this SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™ at my local Target, which is perfect because I am there ALL the time.  You can grab everything you need at Target for this Apricot Chicken Cordon Bleu, and a lot of the ingredients you need you can find in their store brand products!  You are probably headed there anyway, so might as well grab dinner, too!

Here is how you can make this Apricot Chicken Cordon Bleu!

First, you get your dredging stations set up, pound out the chicken, and lay all of the ingredients in the middle.

Then roll it up, secure with toothpicks, and coat with the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.

Bake the chicken at 350F until it is cooked all the way through.  Make sure to use a thermometer to check this!While the chicken is baking, you can make any sides and the sauce.  The sauce is incredibly easy and so tasty!  First make a roux with the flour and butter.  Then add the chopped apricots, wine, stock, and seasonings.  Whisk together and cook until it is thickened, about 10 minutes.

Serve everything warm (watch out for those toothpicks!) and enjoy!  Everyone has been loving this twist on a classic, with a touch of sweetness from the apricots plus all the memories that go with it.

Apricot Chicken Cordon Bleu

A slightly sweet twist on the classic!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Chicken/Turkey

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 851kcal

Ingredients

Apricot Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 Tablespoons apricot jam
• 4-8 slices deli ham
• 4-6 ounces monterey jack cheese thin slices (or swiss)
• 3 ounces dried apricots
• toothpicks
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 Tablespoon parsley finely chopped

Apricot White Wine Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup dried apricots finely diced
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 dash ground red pepper
• salt to taste

Instructions

Chicken

• Use three plates or shallow bowls to set up your dredging station. In the first bowl, place the flour. In the second, place the two eggs and scramble them with a fork. In the third bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and parsley together.
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Take one piece of chicken and place it in a quart sized bag (or between two pieces of plastic wrap, although the bag is easier). Using a meat pounder or something heavy like a rolling pin, pound the chicken until it is an even thickness of approximately 1/4".
• Remove the chicken from the bag, set aside, and repeat with the remaining three pieces of chicken.
• Place one piece of chicken on your work surface. Spread approximately 1 Tbsp of the apricot jam across the chicken but not all the way to the edge. Use less or more if desired, but too much will just squeeze out later.
• On top of the jam, place one large or two small slices of ham.
• On top of the ham, lay out some monterey jack or swiss cheese.
• Slice some dried apricots in half lengthwise (to make them thinner and easier to roll). Place 3 or 4 across the chicken.
• Starting at the pointed end, tightly roll up the chicken. If you press too hard everything will squeeze out. When you get to the end, secure everything in place using a few toothpicks.
• Place the chicken in the flour dish and turn to coat. Shake off any excess flour.
• Transfer the chicken to the egg bath, turning to coat. Let any excess egg drip off.
• Transfer the chicken to the breadcrumb mixture, again turning to coat. Shake off any excess.
• Place the chicken in a large baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• When all of the chicken has been rolled and dredged, place the chicken in the oven and bake until cooked all the way through, approximately 30-40 minutes. The exact thickness and size of the chicken will alter the cooking time. Use a thermometer to ensure that the chicken has cooked in the middle.
• While the chicken is cooking, prepare any other sides such as rice and vegetables.

Sauce

• While the chicken is cooking, make your sauce. Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• When melted, whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture has turned a light brown color.
• Add the wine, chopped apricots, stock, and ground red pepper. Whisk to combine. Continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce is your desired thickness, approximately 7-10 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve everything warm with the apricot sauce. Remind your guests or family members that there are toothpicks in the chicken. I try to use the same number in every piece so that everyone knows exactly how many toothpicks they are looking for.

Nutrition

Calories: 851kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 310mg | Sodium: 1085mg | Potassium: 1487mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1798IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 5mg