Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

The classic baked chicken cordon bleu was always special. It took a lot of time with the breading, but was hard to beat. However, one day I encountered this grilled version and knew that the bar had been raised. Without the breading it was a lighter, healthier version, and the marinade made it burst with flavor. It became one of our special dishes around the time Joc began high school and Cam would have been graduating. In later years, to save time and fuss, we would often just use the dijon coating and the vinaigrette on chicken breasts, without the stuffing. Wonderfully juicy and flavorful! Served with one of Sharon's tabboulehs, our go-to, it is an amazing summery treat!

Method

1
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
2
Cut a pocket into each chicken breast by inserting the knife blade into the thick end of the breast. Sweep the blade back and forth, cutting the opening larger, being careful not to cut through the end, top, or bottom.
3
Layer a slice of ham with a slice of cheese. Roll them up together and insert into the pockets — tuck all the ends in, pushing them into the cavity, and shape the breast meat around the ham/cheese so they're largely closed in (no need for a toothpick if you do this carefully). Brush each breast over the whole surface with Dijon mustard, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4
Make the vinaigrette now. Whisk together the white wine vinegar, Dijon, honey, olive oil, parsley, and thyme to emulsify the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5
Brush each breast with some of the vinaigrette (reserving at least half for grilling).
6
Get BBQ smoking hot. Grill chicken 6–9 minutes per side, with the lid down, or until cooked through. Brush each breast with the remaining vinaigrette while cooking. When chicken is done and plated, drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the chicken and serve.

Ingredients

Method