New York Times

Original Chicken Cordon Bleu

This classic French chicken dish, adapted from Jane and Michael Stern’s book “American Gourmet,” more than lives up to its name ("cordon bleu" means “blue ribbon”). It's also far easier to make than you may think. A chicken breast is pounded thin (we've been known to cheat by using pretrimmed cutlets), then wrapped around a slice of smoked ham and a bit of Swiss cheese, and secured with toothpicks. The roulade is coated in egg and bread crumbs, then pan-fried until golden brown, and a simple white wine cream sauce finishes it off.