Chicken Cordon Who?

Easy.  Simple.  That is my cooking. It has to be or I wouldn't want to do it every night...who would? Recipes that have a bazillion steps and/or ingredients stress me out. That is why dishes with fancy names get a bad wrap most of the time.  Let me clear one of those up right now.

One of my favorite meals when I was growing up was Chicken Cordon Bleu.  My mom would always fix it as a staple for our "fancy" dinners when we had family or friends over.  Since it was more of a special occasion dinner, I always assumed that is was a laborious dish to prepare.  Well, my friends, that is what assuming will do for ya! 

This recipe is easy, simple, yummy and better yet, lower-fat than the original.  The chicken isn't even breaded!  Score!

Lower-Fat Chicken Cordon Bleu
Yields 4 chicken bundles
(the pictures show only 2 bundles, because that's all I had on hand.  This recipe can be multiplied to fit any quantity)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4  Thin Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts -

I buy chicken cutlets to save the loud/annoying step of pounding with a meat mallet.  If you have had rough week, go ahead and buy the regular size breasts and pound away.

4 slices  Ham - usually whatever I have for sandwich making
4 slices  Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese
1 can     Reduced Fat Cream of Mushroom Soup
4 oz.     Reduced Fat Cream Cheese- room temperature if possible

	Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup and cream cheese in a bowl and set aside.  Mixture will be thick and lumpy.
	Next, make an assembly line of the chicken breasts,  Swiss cheese and ham on a plastic cutting board*.  Tear cheese in half and put on top of the chicken.  Follow with the ham.
	Then, from the bottom of the chicken breast, roll the chicken into a bundle.  Place seam side down in a baking dish.
	Cover with soup and cream cheese mixture.  As the sauce bakes it will thin a bit and make a yummy sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Enjoy!
	Sides Suggestion: Wild Rice and Roasted Green Beans (a new fave)

*You should use plastic cutting boards when dealing with raw meat as they are a non-pourus surface. Wooden cutting boards are harder to clean and can harbor bacteria. Yuck!