swiss cheese Archives • A Sweet Pea Chef

Cheesy, crunchy, and oozing with flavor, this chicken cordon bleu proves you can have a luxurious meal without the unhealthy ingredients! Learn how to make this melt-in-your-mouth recipe that’s light and easy. For the longest time, I thought Chicken Cordon Bleu was too intricate to make. Probably because of the fancy French name. This belief kept me from cooking it. Dustin used to make it for us in college (impressive I know) so that's how I got hooked. To the dish, I mean ; ) Do you know what “Chicken Cordon Bleu” means? I didn’t. Apparently, the bleu represents a "blue ribbon." This is a chicken dish legitimately awarded for its excellence. Excellent taste and experience, yes. But how about the health factor? Thing is, rich and decadent meals too often come paired with a lot of unhealthy fats and calories (especially when doused with the sauce and all). So the challenge is obvious: Can I make a Cordon Bleu that skips the excess unhealthy fats and extra calories — without sacrificing the crunch, juiciness, and flavor! SPOILER ALERT: I did and this is the recipe. Enjoy it for date nights, fancy gatherings, or even as a weeknight dinner! Is Chicken Cordon Bleu Fattening? A typical chicken cordon blue recipe is fattening (as it’s breaded with flour and breadcrumbs then fried). This makes the dish add up in calories and unhealthy fat which I’ll share a bit more on below. Aside from that, chicken cordon bleu is usually served with calorie-rich sauces! In this recipe, we’re skipping the sauce for a lighter and weight loss-friendly meal. (Don’t worry, it can be just as good and satisfying even without the sauce!) We’re also skipping the unhealthy breading ingredients and substituting them with cleaner alternatives. Yay! Is Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu Good For Weight Loss? If you’re cooking chicken cordon bleu traditionally, then no, it’s not good for weight loss. But because we’re ditching the frying method and other extra calorie-heavy ingredients (see below), the recipe we’re making is clean, healthier, and weight loss-friendly. How Do We Make Chicken Cordon Bleu Healthy? If there’s a will, there’s always a healthy way to revamp this recipe without sacrificing flavor. Here’s how I made it clean eating approved: To help reduce the unhealthy saturated fat (and mess): Don’t fry your chicken cordon bleu. Instead, bake it with extra virgin olive oil (or cook it using your air fryer). It will still come out crispy and golden on the outside while staying juicy on the inside. To reduce the sodium: Substitute bread crumbs typically used for the crust with almond meal. Store-bought breadcrumbs usually have high amounts of sodium and — yikes — corn syrup. To increase nutritional value: Swap your all-purpose white flour with chickpea flour. White flour is practically devoid of nutrients! Chickpea flour is lower in carbs and calories but rich in fiber and protein. What a win! Research even links it to having antioxidant potential! See more of my fave white flour healthy substitutes here. What Is In This Recipe? Here are the ingredients of your healthy chicken cordon bleu. You might have some of the essentials in your kitchen pantry already. Take a look: Chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)Prosciutto (thin slices)Swiss cheeseChickpea flourSea saltBlack pepper (freshly ground)Almond mealThyme (fresh leaves)Garlic (minced)EggsExtra-virgin olive oil (see why it’s the healthiest oil here) How Do You Keep Cheese From Running Out Of Chicken Cordon Bleu? To keep the cheese intact in chicken cordon blue, I make sure to roll it into the chicken wrap really, really tight. Doing so allows it to stay together. In fact, I never needed to use toothpicks with this method. Before rolling, make sure to tuck in the ends and any stray pieces in. Don’t use too much stuffing and avoid spreading it all the way to the outer edges. You’ll want to leave a clear border (around half an inch margin) to keep it sealed and tight. Remember to squeeze the log gently and twist both ends of the saran wrap to seal your chicken well. How Many Calories Does Cordon Bleu Have? According to the USDA, one breast is identified as a standard serving of chicken cordon bleu. With the cheese, butter, and cream sauce, I typically find a serving to range from 500 to 800 calories (much of which comes from fat). That's a little too high for me so I've worked to knock down the calories quite a bit. The usual sauce contains approximately 120 calories per serving. In this version, we’re skipping the sauce but not the flavor, don’t worry! Ultimately my healthy chicken cordon bleu comes to just 367 calories per serving (one roll)! What Is The Nutritional Value Of Healthy Chicken Cordon Bleu? No doubt, chicken cordon bleu is a sumptuous and mouth-watering dish that’s been around for ages. Its creamy, rich, oh-so-juicy, and tender goodness place it up there with even the fanciest dinners! But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's talk calories. This healthy version of chicken cordon bleu per serving (1 out of 2 rolls) has: Calories: 367 Fat: 20gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 519mgPotassium: 618mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 34gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 3mg How To Store? For leftovers, simply place your delicious cordon bleu in an airtight container and store it in your fridge for 3-4 days. It would be best to reheat it in the oven to maximize the juiciness and crispiness of the chicken. Preheat your oven to around 350F and bake for 10-15 minutes or until it’s heated through. You can even make this recipe ahead! To keep a bake later version, just prepare it as directed and don’t bake. Then, cover it tightly with foil and you can freeze it for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to enjoy it, put it in the fridge for 24 hours or until thawed. More Healthy Chicken Recipes Looking to enjoy more of this healthy protein? Try these other insanely easy and delicious chicken recipes! Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Meal PrepLemon Chicken Orzo SoupGoat Cheese Chicken Pasta | Creamy And FlavorfulCilantro Lime ChickenHealthy Chicken CacciatoreNashville Hot ChickenHealthy Chicken Parmesan This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend. Chicken Cordon Bleu This Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe is simple and delicious and could easily be a weeknight dinner. 2 chicken breasts, (boneless and skinless)4-6 thin Prosciutto slices6-8 slices Swiss1/4 cup chickpea flour1/4 tsp sea salt1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper1/2 cup almond meal4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only)1 clove garlic (minced)2 eggs (beaten)1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Lay the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Take care not to pound too hard because the meat may tear or create holes. Lay 2 slices of Swiss on each breast, followed by 2 slices of prosciutto and then 2 more of cheese. Try to leave a 1/2-inch margin on all sides to help seal the roll. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tightly like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight. Repeat with the remaining chicken.Season the chickpea flour with sea salt and pepper and spread in a flat dish. Mix the almond meal with thyme, garlic, sea salt and pepper in a separate dish. Beat together the eggs and season with sea salt and pepper in a third dish.Remove the chicken from the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with chickpea flour, then dip in the egg mixture and then gently coat in the almond meal mixture. Lightly coat a baking pan or dish with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 25-35 minutes.Cut into pinwheels before serving. DinnerEasychicken cordon bleu meal, chicken cordon bleu with blue cheese, french chicken cordon bleu