Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu

I am not a big fan of chicken cordon bleu, but this is delicious and simple.
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese 

2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese

1/4 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumb (could not find these, just used regular bread crumbs)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or thyme 

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

1/4 cup chopped ham (about 1 ounce) (I just used deli ham)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt. Combine cheese and cream cheese in a

bowl. Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper with breadcrumbs, parsley (or thyme)

and 2 teaspoons oil in another bowl. 3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large, ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Cook the chicken until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Move the chicken to the center so all pieces are touching. Spread with the cheese mixture, sprinkle with ham, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.

4. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F, 5 to 7 minutes.

Nutrition

275 Calories; 13 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 97 mg Cholesterol; 4 g Carbohydrates; 34 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 327 mg Sodium; 259 mg Potassium

(recipe courtesy Mary Dimmick, RD, PT)