Column: Great Date Plates; And the greatest date plate ever is…
If you enjoy beating raw meat within an inch of its life with a mallet, then chicken cordon bleu is for you.
I think that’s all of us.
After a week of little response, I finally received some very yummy sounding recipes – from black bean salsa to two different recipes for cake that is to die for.
But I had to award Benjamin Forsyth the prize for best Great Date Plates recipe because of his chicken cordon bleu. It’s a quick, super easy recipe that doesn’t cost very much. And you can let out any aggressions you may have worked up during the day.
Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 slices of deli ham
2 slices of swiss cheese
Melted butter
Bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (I would just buy a lemon, slice it in half and squeeze both halves)
Directions:
This is where the fun begins. Lay a piece of Saran wrap on the counter, put the two chicken breasts on it, and top that with more Saran wrap. Take a mallet, a hammer (this is what I used), or some other blunt object and pound the chicken until it is completely flat. I’ll be honest with you, I think this is the main reason this recipe ultimately won.
After the chicken is perfectly flat, layer a slice of ham (brown sugar ham will make your tastebuds sing) and a slice of swiss cheese on top.
Roll this all together. Dip the meaty roll into melted butter and then cover it with bread crumbs. This is a messy job, but someone has to do it. I’d either pour a little extra melted butter over it or spray it with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (don’t think about the fact that you are spraying a butter-like substance onto your food).
Secure it with toothpicks, place it on a baking sheet and bake it at 350º for 45 minutes.
For the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat through. Pour this sauce over the top of the chicken and over some rice if you are so inclined.
Benjamin Forsyth, you win a $20 gift card to Winger’s and can pick up your prize in the Utah Statesman office, TSC Room 105.
Mary Carman is a senior in American studies and has no finals. Comments can be sent to mkimbrcarma@cc.usu.edu.