DUTCH OVEN CORDON BLEU

We have a lot of fun cooking in the Dutch oven. It is the perfect vessel to cook dinner and not warm up the kitchen on a hot summer day. Today we are making my version of Dutch Oven Cordon Bleu. This is not my original idea and will have Chilebrown twists that deviate from the original recipe. This recipe consists of seasoned chicken, Yukon gold potatoes, Canadian bacon (My friend Jon, gave me some of his home cured Canadian Bacon), red onions that are topped with a cheese and breadcrumb mixture. It is all baked in a Dutch oven. What fun.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, split, skinned and cut into 1/4 inch medallions
1 red onion sliced into ¼ inch slices.
2 Yukon Gold potatoes sliced into ¼ slices
¾ pd. Of sliced Canadian bacon
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup of shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella)
1 green apple cored but leave the bottom intact
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

Oil the Dutch oven to prevent sticking. I marinated the potato slices in olive oil, chopped garlic and salt & pepper. The chicken medallions were seasoned with bbq rub. (Your choice). The next step is to create a circle of ingredients around the interior of the Dutch Oven. Start with the potato, then the chicken, Canadian Bacon, onion slice and repeat to create a circle. Season with more salt & pepper if desired. I then placed in the center a cored apple with the bottom intact and put 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Pretty fancy don’t you think? It is time to cook.

We used 9 charcoals on the bottom and 15 charcoals on the top for a 20 minute cook or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Then I combine the cheese and breadcrumbs. They are sprinkled on top of the mixture and baked for another 10 minutes or browned.

Winner, Winner, Cordon Blue dinner was a success. This is a rich and decadent savory dish. The homemade Canadian bacon took on a crispness that was over the top yummy. The cheese and breadcrumb mixture really adds a decadent touch. The next time it is too hot to cook in the kitchen give this recipe a try.