Texas Style Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 cup seasoned Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 oz smoked Gouda cheese, sliced into 1" squares about 1/8" thick

20 strips of hickory smoked bacon

1 egg, beaten

salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder (these items will just be a dusting)

4 slices deli style sliced smoked turkey breast

Pam cooking spray

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Clean and trim chicken breasts of all excess fat. Wash, then pat dry breasts. Place breasts on flat surface and using a sharp knife, cut into the breast parallel to the flat surface, making a pocket in the breast. Make the pocket large enough to hold the Gouda and turkey.  Lightly season breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Take 3 slices of smoked Gouda and wrap them in one slice of smoked turkey breast. Place the gouda and turkey wrap into the pocket in the chicken breast. Lay out 5 strips of bacon side by side, then lay stuffed breast on one end of bacon strips and roll up the breast in the bacon. Repeat this process with each breast. Baste breast/bacon with beaten egg.

In a large mixing bowl, blend Panko and Parmesan cheese.  Coat the breasts with Panko by rolling and covering with breadcrumbs.  Place coated breasts into a baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Place in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, or until no pink juice comes from breast.

Makes 8 servings when each breast is cut in half cross ways.

Tips:

I cut into the breast on the large side, and keep my other hand on top of the breast. You can feel where the knife is inside of the breast, and if the knife is sharp enough, guide it where it needs to go. You don't really need to worry, with this recipe, about going to far with the pocket because the bacon and breading will hold it together.  This will be good practice for filleting those fish you catch over the summer.

I use so much pepper, garlic and opinion powder that I have a special home made blend of equal parts salt, garlic powder, pepper and onion powder that I use religiously. Keep the empty containers from your store bought seasonings and start blending your own spices.  Make sure you label them though, I have had too many sneezing fits smelling the unlabeled containers. LOL.

Healthier variations of this recipe can be made: use regular breadcrumbs to cut down on sodium; use low fat cheese in place of the gouda; use turkey bacon in place of the regular to cut down on fat.