Monday, January 9, 2012

Crock Pot Recipe Day 9

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles
From Fix It and Forget It Big Cookbook
Page 340

Makes 6 servings
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 4-5 hours
Ideal slow cooker size 4 qt

3 whole chicken breasts, split and deboned I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 pieces thinly sliced ham  I used deli sliced ham and it was so thin it was kinda hard to tell it was there.  I'd suggest using a slice thickness that isn't paper thin.
6 slices Swiss cheese  All my cheese oozed out so I'd suggest putting 2 slices per piece of chicken instead of one.
 salt to taste
pepper to taste
6 slices of bacon
1/4 cup water
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup white cooking wine I substituted 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

1. Flatten chicken to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness.  Place a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on top of each flattened breast.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I'd suggest you salt and pepper the chicken and then place the ham and then the cheese.  Roll up and wrap with a strip of bacon.  Secure with toothpick.  Place in slow cooker.  If you don't have a meat tenderizer you can use a rolling pin.  However, it doesn't get your chicken as thin as a meat tenderizer would.  It can sort of mutilate your chicken too.  I would also suggest using a bacon that has some fat to it, but not a lot.

2. Combine 1/4 cup water, granules, and wine (or 1/2 cup chicken broth).  Pour into slow cooker.  You could probably use the chicken bouillon that comes in the cubes.  However, you would need to dissolve it in the water first.

3. Cover.  Cook on High 4 hours.  Ok, so I put mine in on low for 6 1/2 hours.  I figured it would be fine since my chicken wasn't completely thawed (yeah, try smashing that).  Much of my cheese oozed out of the center.  I actually think I'd recommend putting 2 slices of cheese inside instead of one. 

4. Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water.  Add to slow cooker.  Cook until sauce thickens.  Because I had my chicken in the crock pot for so long (ended up having a detour tonight before I got home), the kids were starving so I skipped this step.  Even though there was still liquid in the bottom of the crock pot (part bacon drippings, part juice I put in there) the chicken was a smidge dry and I think it probably did need this sauce.  I wouldn't recommend skipping this step.