Trader Joes is awesome but because I have to drive 20 minutes to get there, I go every few weeks to stock up on my favorites (not wanting to drive 20 minutes makes me lazy, which I’m going to expound on for this post). With four ingredients found at Trader Joes (and most every grocery store) you are about 25 minutes away from the sort of dinner that your family will praise you for.
In college, Sunday lunch was Chicken Cordon Blue lunch. Even after I lived in an apartment and had foregone my meal plan, we’d hurry back from church, begging the freshman field hockey players to let us upperclassmen come as their guests (we were sort of bossy). It was chicken stuffed with cheese and ham and then fried to crispy perfection. It wasn’t even the best representation of the dish, it was just so much better than the canned peas I’d usually eat (don’t you judge, Del Monte canned peas are legit).
So recently I made this on the fly for my little family after a TJ’s run, and my husband asked, “what is this? Chicken blue or something?” Ahhh yes, how had I not realized. So I searched a few recipes and even the “light and easy” recipes required you to roll up chicken that you’d pounded into submission. Too much for a weeknight – my particular laziness requires dinners that come together in under 30 minutes. Not only is this super easy but it’s lighter too, as there’s no frying.
My coworker and I used to toy with the idea of creating a “Bachelor in the kitchen” class and if we’d ever succeeded (turns out you can’t discriminate against girls) this would have been one of the first recipes. My husband actually asked me to please please make this again. It’s man-pleasing and ladies, its ease can be our little secret.
Chicken Cordon Blue – The Lazy Way
Serves 2
6 chicken tenderloins (or 2 large breasts)
Salt and pepper
Dijon mustard
3-4 slices ham (Rosemary Ham from Trader Joes is the BEST)
2-3 slices Swiss cheese
1. Heat a nonstick grill pan or skillet over medium high heat and mist with nonstick spray.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet, cooking until golden brown. Flip and repeat on second side.
3. Set chicken on plate or cutting board to cool slightly. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking pan or sheet with foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray.
4. Squirt a line of dijon mustard down the center of each chicken tenderloin/breast.
5. Top with a piece of cheese.
6. Wrap chicken in ham and place on prepared sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
