Asparagus-Stuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu With a Creamy Wine Sauce

photo by A Marsteller




- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 21
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 18 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 (6 ounce) package seasoned stuffing mix (Stove Top )
- 1⁄4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1⁄8 tespoon white pepper
- 1⁄4 cup butter, melted
- 1⁄4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1⁄4 cup dry white wine
- 6 slices deli smoked ham, sliced thin
- 6 slices of deli aged-swiss cheese, sliced thin
- 1 cup seasoned dry bread crumb
-
White Wine Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 shallots, chopped finely
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3⁄4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes (rub between fingers to waken flavor)
directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place between 2 pieces of waxed paper; pound with the flat side of a wooden mallet to about 1/4-inch thickness. (Cook's Tip: Meat should be thin, but be careful not to tear.).
- Snap off tough bottoms of asparagus. Place in boiling water and cover for 1 minute. Shock in cold water, drain and pat dry. Set aside.
- Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the salt, pepper, butter, mustard, garlic and wine. Lay out the chicken breasts, brush the inside of each chicken breast with the melted butter mixture.
- Place 3 asparagus spears on the buttered side of the chicken breast (arrange so that the asparagus tips peek out when the chicken breast is rolled up), and 1 slice each of ham and swiss cheese. Starting from the narrow end, roll each chicken breast up tightly to enclose the filling. (If necessary, secure with toothpicks.)
- Brush outside of each chicken breast with the remaining butter mixture and then roll in bread crumbs. Place the rolls in a 13x9-inch greased baking dish, seam side down, and top with the prepared stuffing.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and juices run clear.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce that will accompany this delicious dish.
- White Wine Sauce:.
- Over low heat, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan, add the shallots; cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cream, wine, flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and parsley. Stir all together bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce is thickened. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups).
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Reviews
-
This is so tasty. I didn't have any seasoned bread crumbs,so I just poured the remainder of the butter mixture over the chicken breasts in the baking dish then put the stuffing all around. The stuffing mixed with the butter sauce for a fabulous flavor. I liked it without the white wine sauce, but my husband loved the sauce.
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It was at my Italian grandmother's apron strings, in the "Patterson, New Jersey region" of Italy, that I learned the secrets of creating real home style Italian dishes, and where my passion for food and my culture were nurtured.
Always kept neat as a pin, grandma's kitchen was the centerpiece of our social settings and the focal point of our lives together as a family. Yes, it was the heart of her home. There, friends and family exchanged news, grandchildren stood on stools over the counter and grated chunks of Romano and Parmesan cheese to be served with dinner, and under the watchful eye of grandma the women (young and old) planned and prepared mouthwatering menus that reflected the marvelous flavors and textures of Italian cooking.
On any given day tantalizing aromas would build and escape through her kitchen window, dance about the balcony and drift down onto the street; where men chatting on the corner of Putnum Street would stop in their tracks to inhale the mouth-watering fragrance. So many sumptuous meals were prepared in that modest, yet functional, kitchen.
If I close my eyes and think of Grandma's cooking, I can vividly recall some of those fragrant food memories: tomato sauce with meatballs and sausages simmering on the stove top; onions, peppers and garlic roasting in a fragrant pool of olive oil, Neapolitan pizza with vine-ripened tomatoes (from grandpa's garden), fresh garlic, basil, Parmesan and anchovies bubbling in the oven; Italian bread smothered with creamy butter, minced garlic, and fresh parsley toasting under the broiler ... "Yummmmm - Heaven in your mouth!"
Among the many recipes that I've collected over the years, are those that I hold especially near and dear. They are tattered, faded pieces of paper that provide a glimpse into my past -- Family recipes passed down from mother to daughter, granddaughter to great-granddaughter. Generations of my family's heritage are captured in grandma's recipes for flavorful soups (Minestrone, Pea, Ruccola); hearty meat, poultry and fish dishes (braciole, pot roast, chicken casseroles, seafood stews); fresh vegetable entrees and salads, and those baked goodies that bring a happy ending to every meal (Ricotta pies, Struffoli, Cenci, Pine Nut cookies). Whenever I am 'hungry' for "the good old days" or I want to soothe my soul after a tiring day, these are the comfort-recipes to which I turn.
I once heard it said: "What distinguishes great cooks from good cooks is that great cooks love to cook. Every meal is an opportunity to express that love." A credo that I am certain grandma lived by -- I believe that she prepared her meals to fill her family and friends with love. I am proud of grandma's spirit of "abbondanza" (an abundant table). Indeed, no one ever left grandma's table hungry.
I'd like to share with you some of the foods from my beloved grandmother's kitchen. Enjoy and make these Italian classic favorites in your own family's kitchen.
Buon appetito!