Swiss Prosciutto Chicken: A Recipe Walkthrough

Lately, a few of my friends have been asking me to share some of my developing recipes. I decided that today I wanted to do more than share a simple recipe. Instead I wanted to do a complete walkthrough. So the following is a recipe with pictures guiding you through making one of my favorite dishes from start to finish. Swiss Prosciutto Chicken is my take on a family favorite, chicken cordon bleu.

So preheat the oven to 350 degrees and let's get started!

Here's what you need: a Pyrex or ceramic baking dish, a cutting board, a gallon size Ziploc bag, a rubber mallet (yes I said a rubber mallet), Swiss cheese slices (one for each chicken breast you plan on making, prosciutto (at least one slice for each chicken breast you plan on making, but two is better), fresh whole basil leaves, salt and pepper, canola or vegetable oil and of course chicken breasts.

Put a chicken breast in the plastic bag and close the bag. Gently used the rubber mallet to flatten the breast. Start at the thicker middle area and lightly pound the breast outward so that it flattens and its surface area increases. Try to get the breast to a quarter of an inch thick or less. Be careful not to pound too hard because the chicken is more fragile that you think. Repeat this process of flattening for each breast.

Once the breasts are all flattened place them on a good flat surface like a cutting board. This will make cleanup easier than if you just put the raw chicken on the counter.

On top of each chicken breast place the strips of prosciutto. On top of that tear the strips of Swiss cheese in half and put them on the end of the breasts that is the widest. Make sure that the cheese covers as much chicken as possible but does not go too far off the side (we want the deliciousness inside the chicken). On top of that place about three fresh, washed basil leaves per chicken breast.

Put a small amount of canola or vegetable oil on the bottom of the Pyrex pan (enough to cover the bottom so that the chicken or dripping cheese won't stick). Then roll each chicken breast around itself starting to roll from the widest end of the breast and moving towards the narrower side. Then place them in the pan. If the chicken does not want to stay together you can put in a toothpick or two to keep each breast closed around its contents. Put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Plate and enjoy!

-Ginger