Now and then I like to enjoy old school comfort foods like chicken Cordon Bleu. In this case however, I lightened it up a bit by cooking it in the air fryer rather than in a deep fryer or pan of oil. It came out surprisingly crispy and delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 10-12 oz. chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 8 slices deli ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 Tbsp dijon mustard, divided
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Spray oil for spritzing
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. fine grind sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Method
- Remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator and cut them in half lengthwise horizontally through the middle so you have two thin pieces of chicken from each breast. Set aside while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Mix together the mayonnaise and mustard for Cordon Bleu sauce in a small bowl.
- Whisk together 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons dijon mustard in a shallow dish. Combine the panko, breadcrumbs, and seasonings in a second shallow dish or in a plastic bag. Get out 8 slices of deli ham and 4 slices of Swiss cheese. Get 16-20 toothpicks out of the box.
- Preheat the air fryer on the hottest setting.
- Place each chicken piece between parchment paper, plastic wrap or wax paper and use a flat meat mallet to pound the chicken until it is about ¼” thick. Repeat for all the chicken pieces.
- Place 2 pieces of ham on top of each chicken piece and cut the Swiss cheese in half and lay it in the middle of the ham in a single layer. Spread about 1-1½ Tablespoon of the mayo & mustard sauce over the cheese.
- Roll the chicken over the ham and cheese and when you get to the end, tuck the ham over itself and pull the end of the chicken up and over to create a roll. Secure with a toothpick. Tuck in the ends and secure with toothpicks.
- Coat each piece of chicken with the egg and mustard mixture and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken and let the chicken sit for a few minutes before cooking. Repeat for each chicken roll.
- Spritz the basket or cooking surface with oil of choice and place the chicken in the basket in a single layer. How many you can fit will depend on your air fryer, but you do want space between each one for the best outcome. Spritz the top of the chicken with oil.
- Air fry on 375°F. for 18-20 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, flipping the chicken pieces over halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove and let rest on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.
