Inexperienced Chile Hen Cordon Bleu

Monterey jack cheese, Black Forest ham and spicy inexperienced chile are rolled up in boneless, skinless hen breasts and baked to tender, flavorful perfection on this enjoyable new (and simple!) twist on sous-chef. That is what hen sous-chef could be like after a tour of the American Southwest!

Hen Cordon Bleu is a traditional of French delicacies that grew to become a staple of American eating places within the Sixties. Earlier than lengthy, residence cooks realized how straightforward it was to make at residence and began including it to their rotation, too.

My household has lengthy beloved variations on the theme, together with this chicken cordon bleu with creamy white sauce. However, this recipe for inexperienced chile hen sous-chef is my very own Southwestern take, impressed by the traditional. And, it’s the model I hold coming again to.

Inexperienced Chile Hen Cordon Bleu

Having grown up in New Mexico and Arizona, I can confidently say that I’m extra aware of the flavour profiles of Southwestern cooking than some other. It’s completely my consolation zone.

So, if I’ve the chance to tuck my beloved inexperienced chiles right into a dish, you possibly can wager I’m going to strive it. In lots of circumstances, they’re a welcome addition, however right here? They create pure magic.

The mild, smoky spice of inexperienced chiles is the proper foil for the creamy Monterey jack cheese, salty ham, and gentle hen. It’s a match made within the land of enchantment. For those who’ve been looking for a brand new hen recipe with actual Southwestern kick, that is the one.

Substances and Substitutions

The Meat – You’ll want boneless, skinless hen breasts and sliced Black Forest ham for this recipe.

The Cheese – I exploit each Monterey jack (for creaminess) and Parmesan cheese (to offer the panko some additional taste) for our sous-chef.

Inexperienced Chile – I’ve had readers attain out every so often to report that they’ll’t discover any inexperienced chiles at their native grocery retailer. Don’t sweat it. As a result of 505 Green Chile is my go-to alternative, and Amazon just about all the time has it in inventory.

The Seasonings – Seize your garlic powder, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper.

The Crust – Panko panko bread crumbs and olive oil cooking spray assist to offer this sous-chef it’s signature crust.

The best way to Make Inexperienced Chile Hen Cordon Bleu

Preheating the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F.

Making ready Your Pan: I begin by flippantly spraying a 9-inch by 13-inch (or different medium sized casserole dish) with olive oil cooking spray and set it apart.

Pounding Out the Hen: You’re going to wish to position your hen breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound them out into a good ½” thickness. I exploit a meat mallet for this, however you may as well use a rolling pin.

Making the Rolls: Sprinkle each side of the pounded out hen breasts with garlic, salt and pepper. Then, I simply high each bit of hen with sliced cheese, then ham, after which extra cheese.

Including the Inexperienced Chile: I unfold a tablespoon or two of inexperienced chile evenly over the cheese.

Pinning the Rolls: Roll the hen up and pin every roll closed with toothpicks or skinny skewers. It doesn’t must be surgically sewn shut, however do your finest to shut off any avenues of escape for the melted cheese.

Topping the Hen: I prepare the hen rolls within the pan so that there’s area round every roll to permit the recent air to flow into. Then, I simply combine collectively the panko and parmesan cheese and sprinkle it excessive of the hen.

Baking: Pop the pan into the oven and let it cook dinner for 35-40 minutes, till the hen reaches an inside temperature of 165°F. The required time will differ a bit primarily based on the thickness of the hen.

Letting it Relaxation: Earlier than serving, I all the time let the hen rolls relaxation for five minutes. It helps hold all the pieces cohesive once you reduce them open, so it’s definitely worth the wait!

Serving Ideas

When one thing that feels this fancy comes out of my oven, I prefer to hold the edges easy. Which means, I’m prone to serve this with only a perfect baked potato or a scoop of herb mashed potatoes and a few garlic butter roasted carrots or these green beans au gratin.

And, if I’m feeling the necessity for one thing gentle and contemporary? That’s when my trusty orange parsley salad or a classic Caesar salad come to the desk. Each of these salads are go-to dinner choices for me.

Make Forward & Storage

Make Forward: You may make these hen sous-chef rolls as much as 2 days prematurely of once you’d prefer to serve them.

Alternatively, you possibly can freeze the sous-chef rolls after they’re assembled, earlier than they’ve been baked. This provides you the choice to have them freshly baked at a later date.

The best way to Retailer: Let the baked hen rolls cool at room temperature for 20 minutes earlier than transferring to an hermetic container. Leftovers could be saved within the fridge for as much as 3 days and within the freezer for as much as 3 months.

To freeze this hen sous-chef with inexperienced chile for leftovers or meal prep, I simply tightly wrap every cooled roll in a double layer of plastic wrap to forestall freezer burn and put these in a resealable plastic bag earlier than labeling and freezing. This lets you thaw and reheat as few or as many servings as you’d like without delay.

The best way to Reheat: If frozen, place the specified variety of rolls within the fridge till completely thawed (about 12 to 24 hours). Bake as instructed within the recipe.

For those who’re heating up refrigerated leftovers, simply wrap loosely in foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven or air fryer for 10-Quarter-hour or till the hen is scorching throughout and the cheese is melted. If you wish to re-crisp the crumb topping, open the foil for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

Extra Inexperienced Chile Hen Recipes

{initially revealed 10/27/11 – recipe notes and photographs up to date 4/22/26}