Stuffed Chicken Thighs Cordon Bleu
Stuffed with cheese and thinly sliced ham, then baked until crispy and served in a super quick and simple creamy dijon and white wine pan sauce, these Stuffed Chicken Thighs Cordon Bleu bring all the classic flavors of chicken cordon bleu, in an updated twist. Plus it all cooks up in just one pan for an easy weeknight meal!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
- 4 oz swiss or gruyere cheese (about 6 pre-sliced slices or if cutting off a block, cut about 12 thin slices)
- 12 slices thin sliced ham
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried thyme
Creamy Cordon Bleu Sauce
- 2 tbs unsalted butter
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup coconut milk or heavy cream
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup finely grated swiss or gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Pat chicken skin dry with a paper towel. Slide your finger under the skin of each chicken thigh, loosening skin from meat to create a pocket (leaving the skin attached on the edges and bottom). Gently layer 2 slices of ham directly under the skin of each, then add sliced cheese in an even layer between ham and chicken meat. The ham should be on the skin side and the cheese touching the chicken. This will help seal the cheese in.
- Season the skin side of each chicken thigh with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme.
- In a large, room temperature cast iron skillet, add the oil, and spread around pan. Add chicken skin side down. Turn on medium heat, and cook about 10 minutes. Don’t disturb the chicken while searing, the fat will render out of the skin, and the skin should release easily when crisp.
- Flip chicken to skin side up, and transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake 20 – 25 minutes , until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°.
- Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- In same skillet (you can drain the fat if you want or leave it in for extra flavor), over medium-high heat on the burner, add butter to melt, then stir in flour. Cook 2 -3 minutes, then add grated garlic, thyme, and white wine. Stir and cook another couple of minutes until wine starts to reduce. Add chicken broth, coconut milk or cream, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 5 – 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Add remaining cheese, then stir to melt.
- Return chicken to the skillet and serve. To serve, I like to place big spoonful of sauce on the plate first, then place a chicken thigh on top to keep the skin crispy.
Notes
A large cast iron or cast enameled pan works best for this recipe, as it is naturally nonstick and can be transferred to the oven for baking. If you don't have a cast iron pan, an oven proof stainless pan should work, but you may want to add a little extra oil to help prevent the chicken from sticking when searing.
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