Chicken Cordon Bleu

Serves 4

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ lb. shaved or thinly sliced ham
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
½ cup flour
1 T. Paprika
1 beaten egg
½ cup plain breadcrumbs

Béchamel sauce
2 T. butter
1 ½ cups milk
2 T. flour
2 slices Swiss cheese

Cooking Day:
Béchamel sauce: warm butter and milk in saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Wisk in flour. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts and sauce thickens.

Pound chicken breasts to uniform thickness (approx. ¼ inch think). Top each breast with 1-2 slices of ham, two thin slices of Swiss cheese, and a dollop of béchamel sauce. Roll up each chicken breast, securing with a toothpick if necessary. In a bowl, mix together flour and paprika. Place beaten egg and breadcrumbs in two additional bowls. Dip each breast first in the flour mixture, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs, rolling to cover well. Brown the rolled chicken on all sides in an oiled skillet for about three minutes. Wrap cooked chicken breasts individually in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bag and freeze. Freeze extra béchamel sauce in a separate bag.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake thawed chicken breasts in a 375 degree oven, approximately 20-30 minutes. Pour thawed béchamel sauce over chicken breasts for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Hint:
For less mess and easy clean up, place each chicken breast inside a large freezer bag before pounding breast to desired thickness using the flat side of a meat mallet or rolling pin.

By: Don’t panic More Dinner’s in the Freezer