Day 241: Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles

One thing that I'm discovering as I try so many new recipes is that the best recipes are simple, even if they look complicated.  It takes as much time to make something like these bundles that look difficult and fancy as it does to make a casserole.  And the reality of it is that these didn't cost much more to make than a casserole would.  Its changing my thinking as to what an inexpensive meal could be.  These bundles probably cost just over $2 each.  If you add some fresh seasonal veggies and some bread you have a very nice and relatively inexpensive meal. I found this recipe in a Taste of Home cookbook.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles
10" dutch oven

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1 1/4 cups milk
1 Tbs. minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. frozen puff pastry, thawed
8 thin slices deli ham
4 slices provolone cheese

Put the chicken in a 10" dutch oven, cover with water and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.  Use 1 ring on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  After the chicken is done, drain and keep warm.  Wipe the dutch oven clean.
In your 10" dutch oven over a full spread of coals saute the onion and mushrooms in  2 Tbs. butter until tender.  Combine the cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir into the mushrooms.  Add seasonings.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.
Cut the pastry sheets in half width wise.  On one side of each half, place a chicken breast, 1/4 cup mushroom mixture, two ham slices and 1 cheese slice.  Fold pastry over filling and seal the edges.
Place each bundle in a greased 10" dutch oven and bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.  Serves 4.

The Finished Product

I had an extra sheet of puff pastry so I made 6 bundles that completely filled up a 12" dutch oven.

The Review

These little bundles were really good and really easy.  I'm surprised by how easy they were.  They took me about 20 minutes to put together, but they look and taste like they were much more difficult to make.  I was surprised by how easy the puff pastry was to work with and how good it was.  After cooking in water, the chicken was so tender that you could cut it with a fork.  I have to warn you, these were huge!!  We had to cut them in half because they were too much for one person.  Next time I'll cut the chicken in half and make 8 bundles instead of 4.  I'll be making these again.  Grade A.