Easy cordon bleu schnitzel with chicken breast, baked in the oven, crunchy and oozing with cheese, delicious and less fussy to make.
Schnitzel with Ham and Cheese
Cordon bleu schnitzel filled with ham and cheese, baked in the oven, and served hot with potato wedges and salad. A perfect meal for us! But this is a healthier and easier version, made with chicken breasts filled with ham and cheese, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked instead of fried.
What is cordon bleu?
Stuffed meat fillets usually made with thin fillets of veal or pork, filled with cheese and ham, breaded and deep-fried. Usually, you will have a thick roll oozing with melting cheese and crispy due to that fried breadcrumb coating. An easier version would be to fill a smaller piece of meat with ham and cheese, bread the meat, then pan-fry it. Still using lots of oil, even if you are not deep frying.
How to make quicker and easier cordon bleu schnitzel?
This is my version of a cordon bleu: a healthier, cheaper, quicker, easier. Taste? Amazing!!!
Healthier:
- There is no deep-frying involved, the cordon bleu schnitzel is baked in the oven.
- Also, I am using chicken, which is always a healthier alternative when it comes to meat.
Cheaper:
- Veal would be pretty healthy too, but veal is expensive and very difficult to find.
- Plus, many people (my mother-in-law, for instance) don't eat veal on the ground of its being a baby cow. Well, chicken is also baby chicken, so I really don't see the point behind that reasoning...
- Less oil involved makes this cordon bleu recipe cheaper as well.
Quicker and easier:
- The stuffed rolls served in good restaurants look amazing, but they are not something I would like to make at home often. For guests, maybe, but otherwise I go for the easier and quicker version.
- Instead of butterflying the meat, making a large and maybe unstable roll, securing it with toothpicks all over, and having to check the temperature of the frying oil, I take the easy route.
- Cut the chicken breast making sure they still hold on at one side, pound shortly, fill, and bread.
- Bake in the oven. That's it!
Cutting the chicken breasts:
- You will need smaller breasts to make this recipe, those I normally use weigh about 150 g/ 5.3 oz each.
- Cut in half and make two stuffed chicken pieces out of each breast, so a total of 8.
- You can decide if you will then have 4 or 8 servings. I recommend two pieces for each adult and 1 for each child.
- Cut the chicken breasts across in half.
- Slice each half in the middle, making sure that the meat is still connected at one side.
- Open up the breast and tenderize it with a meat mallet or a heavy saucepan.
- Place one piece of ham and one of cheese on one side of the meat. Make sure that the cheese and ham slices are slightly smaller than the meat, this way, not too much cheese will ooze out.
- Fold the other side of the breast over the filling. Press lightly to make sure they hold together.
- You can secure the pockets with a toothpick if you are anxious that they will not hold. However, I never did it and everything always worked fine. A small amount of cheese will always ooze out, but not too much.
Crumbing the chicken:
- Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Mix the oil and the sweet paprika powder in a small bowl.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and brush it with the oil-sweet paprika mixture.
- Place the flour on a large plate.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Add the lemon zest and some gratings of nutmeg.
- Place the breadcrumbs on another large plate.
- Coat the chicken in flour and pat carefully over the sink to remove the excess flour.
- Dip in the eggs and hold shortly over the bowl to allow the excess egg to drip off.
- Coat in the breadcrumbs.
- Place on the prepared baking tray.
- Brush lightly with some of the oil-sweet paprika mixture, reserve the rest of the oil for later.
Bake:
- Bake for about 7-8 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Flip.
- Brush with the remaining paprika oil and bake for another 6-7 minutes or until cooked through.
- If the pieces are larger, adjust the baking time accordingly.
How to serve the stuffed schnitzel?
Our favorite side dish is always oven-baked potato wedges with some chili sauce on the side. And a green salad with yogurt dressing. I never feel like I need to have any sauce with cordon bleu schnitzel, but do make some if you like it.
In spring I often make sauteed asparagus, while in winter I would go for some roasted Brussels sprouts and potatoes.
If I don't have any fresh veggies, I choose to make French-style green beans or buttered green peas because I always have them in the freezer. Mashed potatoes, garlic noodles, or even rice are suitable side dishes as well.
More crispy chicken?
- Schnitzel in Pancake Batter - This schnitzel in pancake batter is my children’s favorite schnitzel.
- Schnitzel with Potato Crust - Tender schnitzel with a crunchy potato-Parmesan crust, you will love them.
- Baked Panko Chicken Breast - Healthy and delicious crispy baked breast with a panko Parmesan crust.
- Chicken Breast Fritters - A Russian recipe, whipped up in no time and bound to make your children (or anyone else) happy.
- McDonald's Sweet and Sour Sauce with Chicken Nuggets - Our favorite chicken nuggets dipped in a homemade copycat McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce.
Cordon Bleu Schnitzel
An easier and healthier version of a famous dish: chicken cordon bleu baked in the oven, still crunchy and oozing with cheese, yet less fussy to make.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 591kcal
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts about 150 g/ 5.3 oz each
- 2 large and thin cheese slices or more depending on their size (See note)
- 2 large and thin cooked ham slices or more depending on their size
- fine sea salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- zest from ½ organic lemon
- some nutmeg
- about 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ 1 cup dried breadcrumbs or more, if necessary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the chicken breasts across in half. Slice each half in the middle, but make sure that the meat still holds together at one side. Open up the breast, place it between two sheets of plastic foil and tenderize it very gently with a meat mallet or a heavy pan.
- Slice the ham and the cheese slices into smaller slices, large enough to fit into the chicken breast, but slightly smaller than the pieces of meat. Place 1 slice of cheese and 1 of ham on the lower part of each meat piece, fold the upper meat piece over and press lightly so that they hold together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Mix the oil and the sweet paprika powder in a small bowl. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and brush it with the oil mixture.
- Place the flour on a large plate. Lightly beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Add the lemon zest and some nutmeg. Place the breadcrumbs on another large plate.
- Coat the chicken in flour and shake carefully to remove the excess flour.
- Dip in the eggs and coat in breadcrumbs, pressing slightly.
- Place on the prepared baking tray. Brush lightly with some of the oil mixture, reserve the rest of the oil for later.
- Bake for a total time of 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, turning halfway through. After turning, brush the chicken very lightly with the leftover paprika oil and finish baking.
- Serve immediately as suggested above.
Notes
I use Gouda, but Cheddar or Swiss cheese would also be great.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cordon bleu pieces | Calories: 591kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 1017mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
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Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
Chicken Schnitzel with Ham and Cheese?! I mean. I just. I can't. I NEEEEEED. 🙂
Adina says
It is indeed a tempting combination. 🙂
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
My favorite combination of ingredients...ham, cheese, and chicken all wrapped up in a crispy crunchy coating!
Adina says
It has become one of my favorite ways of eating chicken as well.
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table says
Loving this combination of flavors - ham and cheese and crunchy chicken? Yum! Plus, I always prefer baked over fried. Sad though that your grandmother wouldn't try your food. I know for sure she was missing out because you are a great cook! Set in her ways, I suppose, possibly to the extreme. Please though, you keep on experimenting - for all of our sakes 🙂
Adina says
Yeah, my grandma could be very extreme in her ways. But it only enhanced my desire to try everything new ... (+ I think I like eating more than she ever did, so it is easy for me to want to try new things 🙂 )
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, does that chicken look amazing. I'm glad you didn't stick with only your grandmother's recipes. She sounds like quite a character!
Adina says
Thank you, Chris. Her food was great, but I would find it super-boring to cook the same things all over again my whole life... And yes, she was really a character!
Jess @ Sweetest Menu says
Wow! What a delicious dinner. I love the ham and cheese idea!!
Adina says
Thank you, Jess. 🙂
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Wow, your grandma was a piece of work, Adina. I'm glad you try new and different things and share them here with all of us. It's always a pleasure to visit your blog. This dish looks amazing and would disappear fast at my dinner table!
Adina says
Thank you, Allie, that is so nice to hear! 🙂
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I think most grandparents are sent in their ways... I wouldn't take offense that your grandmother refused to eat your food. Just means more for you! Anyways, loving your schnitzel theme! Stuffed with ham and cheese sounds wonderful! Cheers to a wonderful weekend!
Adina says
I suppose so... but it wasn't so nice at the time, well it's a long time ago, more than 10 years. Have a nice weekend too, Cheyanne.
Meghan | Fox and Briar says
This looks delicious! Your grandma does sound like quite a character, I'm glad you pushed back and embraced your creativity in cooking.
Adina says
Thank you, Meghan. She tought me to enjoy food and cooking, but her inflexibility in this area also increased my curiosity and desire to try something new all the time.
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
This Chicken Schnitzel looks incredible, Adina! I just had dinner but looking at these photos are making me hungry again!
Alina @ Delicious Romania says
I was just talking to my husband the other night that I'm really craving some chicken schnitzel. I never tried a baked schnitzel, but this one looks perfect! I'm craving it even more right now, so I'll know what I'll buy the next time I go shopping for groceries. 🙂
J J Goodway says
Just the thing I'm looking for 🙂 Does any of the cheese ooze out when cooking? Im wondering what holds the construction together when flipping it over? THnaks
Adina says
Hi. It oozes a little, you can see it in the picture of the chicken on the baking tray. But it is not like all the cheese oozes out, just a little bit. Make sure that you cut the cheese and ham slices slightly smaller than the meat, so that all fits inside and the breadcrumb coating will hold everything together. I hope you like it. 🙂
marie johson says
One of the best recipe i've ever tried. My family loved it. Thanks a lot for sharing <3