Weeknight Cooking: Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

I am all about authentic dishes. Long, tedious prep times? Not scared. Multi-step recipes? No sweat. Head to the store to get a specialty ingredient I don't normally keep on hand? Why not! Except during the week. Monday through Friday during the school year I'm all about fast and furious. First, when I come home, I am famished. If I don't think a meal will be ready anytime soon, I am going to eat whatever is in sight--and it probably isn't low-fat. Second, I'm mentally and physically exhausted from a day of dealing with high school students. Third, I've got two very young children. Enough said.

So, while I would love to be making my own bread crumbs, pounding out chicken breasts, rolling up ham and gruyere cheese in them, lightly sauteeing them and then finishing the cooking process in the oven--like you might do if you were making authentic chicken cordon bleu--it's Monday night, people. Please.

Good thing I found a quick and easy recipe to fake it! I had barely begun and I was already done! (That rhymes by the way.) The original recipe comes from the Kraft Food & Family magazine. I am going to tell you the original recipe, then how I changed it, and why.

EASY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
from Kraft Food & Family Magazine (not sure month or year)

2 cups Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken from the multi-serving canister
** I used a regular box of S.T. stuffing (6 oz) because it's what I had on hand.

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)
**I have a 6'4" husband and I like to have leftovers to take to work for lunch the next day, so I used 2 lbs.

4 slices Oscar Mayer Thin Sliced Smoked Ham
**I had leftover ham from the deli, so I used that. It wasn't smoked. No big deal. AND sinc I had more chicken, I needed more ham, too. If you're following my amounts, you'll need about 6 - 8 slices of ham.

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
**I doubled this part because we like to have plenty of sauce at our house.

1 tablespoon dijon mustard
**First I doubled the dijon, because I doubled the soup. Then I added 2 more tablespoons because the flavor wasn't coming through enough.

1 cup Kraft Shredded Swiss Cheese
**I used Meijer brand, which comes in a 6 oz. package, and I used the whole thing.


Regardless of what measurements you use, the cooking instructions will be the same:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.


2. Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish; cover with ham. Mix soup and mustard; spoon over chicken. Top with swiss cheese. Spread prepared stuffing evenly over top.


3. Bake 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (I had to cook an additional 10 minutes because the chicken breasts weren't small, and they were on the thicker side.)


4. Original makes four servings


5. OR the original would feed one hungry 6'4" husband + 1 wife + 1 picky 2 1/2 year old with NO leftovers.


6. If you follow my measurements, you can feed all of the above, and have one leftover portion size for wife to take to lunch and two decent-sized portions for the husband to eat at 11:00 p.m. while watching hunting shows!