Chicken,  Dinner,  Panini / Sandwich

Chicken Cordon Bleu Hoagie

I really love my foodie friends.  Friends who get excited about tasting a new dish, finding a cool recipe and wanting to share their ideas to creative something amazing.  I share a certain connection with those friends having that passion for food that a non-foodie would find uninteresting.  It’s those people who live to eat vs. those who eat to live.  My friends who purr with pleasure when biting into something decadent, who love tiny bites of tasty tapas and quaint little restaurants with to-die-for food.

When I spotted this recipe in Cuisine at Home I immediately shared it with my foodie fan, Randy.  He, like me, can look at a recipe and instantly know it will be a hit or miss.  Plus, never leaving good enough alone, we divulge in the most excited manner all the ways we would change it up!  We both loved this idea of having the classic Chicken Cordon Bleu in a casual, fun presentation.  Easy to pick up with your hands or slice up and enjoy.

I prepared the dish as below; however, Randy suggested also adding strips of sautéed peppers and caramelized onions.  Yum….

 Chicken Cordon Bleu Hoagie

Tweaked from Cuisine at Home

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

¾ pound chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin short strips

¼ cup minced shallots

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup homemade chicken broth or quality low sodium store bought

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon herbs de Provence

1 cup broccoli florets, blanched

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

2 -3 Hoagie buns or round sourdough loaves (each 6 inches)

4-6 thin slices smoked ham

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided

2 teaspoons Parmesan, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or use a slipat.  Heat oil in a medium sauté pan.  Add the chicken and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add in shallots and sauté until softened, about 2.  Sprinkle on flour and cook 1 minute.  Add in broth, stirring constantly to avoid clumping.  Stir in cream, parmesan, mustard and herbs, simmer after each additional until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add broccoli, season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.  Reduce heat to low.

Hollow out loaves by cutting of tops and tearing out insides, removing as much bread as possible.  Toast loaves directly on oven rack, about 5 minutes, remove to prepared baking sheet.  Place ham slices in bottom of each loaf.  Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving sauce in pan.  Top the chicken in each loaf with Swiss cheese and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.

Bake until cheese melts, about 7-10 minutes.  Serve with reserved sauce.

I love being in the kitchen. Early mornings, soft music, a hot espresso. Easing into the preparation of delicious meals. Glancing through cookbooks, gathering inspiration and planning my day. I look forward to the cycles of the seasons, the pleasures of tasting and savoring and sharing this with those dear to me. Weekends are special to me as my week days are often rushed, but still I create the ambiance, light the candles, set the table and uncork the wine.

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